SOLESTA is used for the treatment of accidental bowel leakage (also referred to as fecal incontinence) in patients 18 years and older who have tried and failed other "conservative" therapies such as change in diet, fiber therapy, and medications.

How can Solesta help?

Get control with a visit to your doctor
Solesta is a treatment for accidental bowel leakage, also known as fecal incontinence. Fecal incontinence is more common than you may think. Unfortunately, millions of people suffer every day from accidents and leaks. But Solesta can help. It is given in your doctor's office and is proven to help reduce accidents.

Solesta is for people who have not had relief from:

- Changes in diet
- Exercise
- Drugs that soften the stool
- Drugs meant to slow down the digestive process

Solesta is an option after simple methods have failed, but before you consider undergoing surgery.

How does Solesta work?

Solesta is a gel that is given through 4 injections into the wall of the anal canal. It helps give you more control by bulking up the tissue in the anal canal. The injections do not usually cause pain and anesthesia is not necessary.

Solesta is composed of naturally made materials called dextranomer and sodium hyaluronate. The gel is similar to the natural starches, sugars, and tissue in your body.

Learn more about whether Solesta is right for you and how you can get started with Solesta.

Treatment with Solesta

- A quick, nonsurgical outpatient procedure
- The Solesta treatment procedure is done in your doctor's office and takes about 10 minutes
- No anesthesia is required
- You may resume limited physical activity immediately after the procedure
- You can resume most physical activities after 1 week
- Solesta may begin working soon after the procedure, with optimal results at 3 months for many patients
- The effectiveness of Solesta continues over time. Solesta was shown to be effective in patients for 2 years, and patients' results are still being followed for a 3-year period
- The most common risks of treatment with SOLESTA in the clinical study were Mild or moderate pain or discomfort in the rectum or anus
- Minor to moderate bleeding or spotting from the rectum following treatment
- Fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or constipation (experienced by some patients after treatment)
- Talk to Dr Mohiuddin to find out if Solesta is right for you

Understanding Your Condition

Accidental bowel leakage, also called fecal incontinence or the loss of bowel control, is more common than you may think. Unfortunately, millions of people suffer every day from accidents and leaks. Some people may also experience feelings of sadness and depression and may not want to leave the house for fear of having an accident.

This condition can have a dramatic impact on your quality of life-limiting your daily activities and affecting your relationships. However, some people avoid seeking treatment. This might be because of embarrassment, or simply because they have been told that fecal incontinence is just a part of getting old.

Fecal incontinence is not a normal part of aging. It is a medical problem. But there is hope.

Diagnosis

Accidental bowel leakage (which your doctor may also call fecal incontinence) is not a normal part of aging. It is a medical problem, and most people can get some relief with the right treatment. Simply knowing more about your particular condition can give you a better sense of control. The first step is to talk to your doctor.

A doctor can usually make a diagnosis based on a physical exam, your medical history, and tests that will provide better insight about your condition. The tests can be completed during an outpatient visit.

Tests to diagnose fecal incontinence may include
- Manometry: This is a test that checks the tightness of your anal muscles. They may be too weak to function
- Anorectal ultrasound: This test checks the structure of your muscles. There may be something wrong, causing them not to work
- Stool tests: These tests check to see if there's a reason for diarrhea (such as infection)
- Sigmoidoscopy: A camera fitted into a thin tube is used to see if there are problems such as tumors, inflammation, or scar tissue in the rectum or colon
- DRE (digital rectal exam): This physical exam is used to identify patients with fecal impaction and overflow
Fecal incontinence can be treated. Talk to your doctor today.

Treatment Options

How you can begin to take control

Once your doctor diagnoses you with accidental bowel leakage (also known as fecal incontinence), you can be treated and may be able to look forward to an improved lifestyle. While there is no quick fix for your condition, there are several options available. Treatments range from simple to more complex. So, if the first thing you try doesn't work, don't get stressed-talk with your doctor to choose your next treatment.

Common treatments

- Dietary changes. Adding fiber to your diet can add bulk and make it easier to control your stools if they are watery. Sometimes avoiding certain foods like coffee, tea, or chocolate can help as well
- Medication. Some medicines help you make bowel movements on a regular basis. These are called laxatives. Other medicines slow down the movement of stool through the bowel
- Bowel training. These are exercises that help you relearn how to control bowel movements. One kind of bowel training is called biofeedback
- Exercise. Strengthening exercises (called Kegel exercises or pelvic floor exercises) can help control fecal leakage. They involve contracting the muscles of the anus, buttocks, and pelvis, and then holding as hard as possible for 5 seconds, and then relaxing. A series of 30 of these exercises should be done 3 times a day
- Injectable tissue bulking agent. Materials are injected to improve the bulk and thickness of the anal walls.
- Surgery. These procedures include sphincteroplasty, colostomy, sphincter replacement, and sacral nerve stimulation. Many of these procedures involve the repair or replacement of a part of your anus or sphincter. With sacral nerve stimulation, a transmitting device is implanted under the skin of the upper buttock area to send electrical impulses to the nerves that control the sphincter

Don't give up. If simpler treatments don't work, there is another option that might be right for you.

For more information about Solesta, please click here.