Outpatient neurogenic bowel consultation

Bowel management is considerably impaired by a spinal cord injury

A spinal cord injury changes many things, including gastrointestinal tract function. Neurogenic bowel dysfunction can be treated and controlled by means of bowel management, but cannot be cured. This is why special attention needs to be paid to bowel dysfunction in the context of lifelong follow-up care.

What is known as bowel management comprises all measures required for regulated passing of stools, from food, to medication and to evacuation techniques and the use of aids.

Despite regular follow-up care, bowel function can change over the long-term course. Bowel management problems can develop due to increasing age, new diseases or through the combination of various diseases and/or medical problems (comorbidities) and be affected by medication-based therapy. Lifestyle, exercise and food also have a significant effect on bowel management.

Having problems with bowel management?

The Swiss Paraplegic Centre advises people with neurogenic bowl dysfunction through an interdisciplinary team that comprises spinal cord medicine, nutritional therapy/counselling and continence nurse specialists. Other specialist areas, such as neuro-urology, gastroenterology and ParaHelp are brought in, if required. In the outpatient neurogenic bowel clinic, various aspects that are important for bowel function are identified and evaluated before individual recommendations are made. Cooperation from the person in question is as important as the ongoing evaluation and adaptation of therapy.

We will get there together!

Target group:

People with neurogenic bowel dysfunction ...

due to a spinal cord injury
due to conditions associated with spinal cord injuries
in the case of neurological or neurodegenerative diseases (multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, etc.)
and with an ileostomy or colostomy