Guidance
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued full guidance to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on transabdominal artifical bowel sphincter implantation for faecal incontinence.
April 2018: The device used in this procedure no longer has a current CE mark. The CE mark is necessary for medical devices to be marketed in the European Union. A non CE marked device can only be used in the context of clinical investigations with MHRA and research ethical approval.
Description
Faecal incontinence occurs when a person loses the ability to control their bowel movements, resulting in leakage of faeces. It can happen as a result of congenital abnormalities of the anal sphincter (the ring of muscle that keeps the anus closed), injury to the sphincter during childbirth or surgery, disease of the nervous system, prolapse of the pelvic organs or pelvic radiotherapy. In this procedure, an inflatable circular cuff is placed in the anorectal area. The cuff is controlled using a pump that is implanted under the skin in the lower half of the abdomen and connected to a reservoir of fluid. Pressure on the pump allows fluid to move to and from the cuff, to open or close the anus and allow bowel movements to be controlled.
Coding and clinical classification codes for this guidance.