A study of the Effect of Catheters on AAR Parameters in the Anal Canal
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluation of the impact of varying size of catheter diameters on Anal Acoustic Reflectometry (AAR) parameters in the continent anal sphincter
IRAS ID
230870
Contact name
Karen Telford
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 8 months, 0 days
Research summary
Acoustic Reflectometry (AAR) is a reliable and reproducible technique that has been studied in our department over the last 8 years. Sound waves pass into a balloon placed in the anal canal and are used to measure the cross sectional area. By gradually increasing and decreasing the pressure in the balloon we can measure the pressure at which the cross-sectional area starts to increase and decrease, and the anal canal starts to open and close.
This assessment mimics the natural opening and closing of the anus (bum) and the effect of squeezing the muscles.
AAR is measured by placing a balloon attached to a catheter into the anal canal and the readings are recorded as outlined above. We do not know the effect that stretching the anal sphincters to various degrees has on these readings as this has never been investigated before.
The gold standard investigation of the anal sphincter muscles has been manometry which measures anal canal pressure at rest and during squeeze. The effect that the manometry catheters have on anal pressures has been investigated but not for almost 20years. The authors found that the larger the diameter of the catheter the higher the anal pressures. We do not know the effect that the size of catheters has on AAR readings.
This is clinically important as, it will tell us the effect that stretching the anal sphincters has on its ability to open and close. This is particularly important when we look at patients with pathology of the anal canal such as intussuception/rectal prolapse where the bowel prolapses sometimes through the anal canal/sphincters and we do not know the impact that this has on their function.
Gathering this information will help in the management of these patients.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NW/0548
Date of REC Opinion
18 Oct 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion