Rectal Prolapse

Your healthcare provider will review your medical history, then examine your rectum. They might ask you to activate your muscles as if you were pooping. To confirm the diagnosis or rule out other possible problems, they might use one or several of the following tests:

• Digital Rectal Exam. This is a physical exam using lubricated gloved fingers.
• Defecography. This is an imaging study of your muscles when you poop, using an X-ray or MRI.
• Anorectal Manometry. This test measures the strength and tightness of your anal sphincters.
• Lower GI Series (barium enema). A series of video X-rays of your lower gastrointestinal tract.
• Colonoscopy. This test examines the inside of your large intestine with a flexible scope.
• Electromyography (EMG): This test determines if nerve damage is the reason why the anal sphincters are not working properly. It also examines muscle coordination.

If you have weak pelvic floor muscles, you may have one or several other conditions in addition to rectal prolapse. Your healthcare provider may want to check for these other conditions so that they can address them all together. Possible secondary conditions include:

• Pelvic floor dysfunction.
• Rectocele.
• Urinary incontinence.
• Small bowel prolapse.
• Vaginal prolapse.
• Bladder prolapse.