INVESTIGATING IDIOPATHIC CONSTIPATION
The exact nature of the defecatory problem can be better defined by assessing colonic transit and anorectal function.
Anorectal physiological tests are designed to assess anal sphincter function, sensory func- tion, and motor function of the pudendal nerve, which innervates the anal sphincter muscles. Colonic transit studies are used to measure colonic transit time. The patient swallows dif- ferently shaped radio-opaque markers over a 3- day period and then attends for X-ray 5 days later. Patients with normal transit pass