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Aims: There are several options for treating anal incontinence (AI), with limited success rate in long‐term follow‐up. Patients' selection is important to avoid unnecessary investigations and therapies. The aim of this review is to assess the utility of pelvic floor investigations to predict success from conservative treatment in AI. Methods: Baseline demographics, severity scores, and pelvic floor investigations of 490 patients with AI symptoms were retrospectively reviewed. Patient‐reported outcomes were used to define success of conservative treatment. Results: Bivariate analysis showed that gender, St Mark's incontinence score, Bowel continence and quality of life domains of International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire–Bowel symptoms score, Bristol stool chart, anal squeeze pressure, enterocoele, leak of contrast at rest, and dyssynergia in defecography were associated with patient's outcomes from conservative treatment (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that only the Bowel continence score was an independent predictor of patient's success with treatment. Conclusions: Pelvic floor investigations are of limited value to predict success of conservative treatment and they should be reserved for patients who fail noninvasive management and might require surgical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To meet the increasing demands for colorectal pelvic floor services, a dedicated telephone triage assessment clinic (TTAC) was set up to establish a more efficient pathway, and reduce waiting times and patient's visits to the hospital. The primary aim of this study was to review TTAC in patients suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction and assess its feasibility. Secondary aims include measurement of waiting times for TTAC, main presenting complaints, and main treatment outcomes, including the need for review by a consultant surgeon. Methods: Review of data collected retrospectively in a single tertiary referral center collected from an institutional database. Key results: Between January 2016 and October 2017, 1192 patients referred to our pelvic floor unit were suitable for TTAC. Of these, 694 patients had complete records. There were 66 without follow‐up after the initial TTAC, leaving 628 patients for analysis. In all, 86% were females and 14% were males, with a mean age of 52 years (range: 18–89). The median waiting time for TTAC was 31 days (range: 0–184). The main presenting complaint during the TTAC was obstructive defecation in 69.4%, fecal incontinence in 28.5%, and rectal prolapse in 2.1%. In our study, 611 patients had conservative management (97.3%), with a median of three sessions per patient (range: 1–16), while 82 patients (13.1%) needed a surgical intervention. Only 223 patients (35.5%) were reviewed by a consultant at some stage during the study period. Conclusions and Inferences: To optimize resources, an adequate triage system allowed us to streamline the pathway for each individual patient with pelvic floor dysfunction according to their symptoms and/or test results with the aim of reducing waiting times and expediting treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]