Bowel leakage · Alpharetta and Roswell
Bowel leakage and loss of bowel control, evaluated in Alpharetta and Roswell.
Accidental bowel leakage, leaking stool, or a feeling that you can’t control your bowels can be hard to bring up. Our urologists at 11660 Alpharetta Hwy Ste 700, Roswell evaluate bowel incontinence and go through the next step, including conservative care and InterStim for bowel control when it fits.
What is bowel leakage, and what does it mean if I can’t control my bowels?
Bowel leakage, also called accidental bowel leakage, bowel incontinence or fecal incontinence, means stool leaves the rectum when you did not mean it to. It may be a small smear when you pass gas, or a fuller loss of bowel control. Some people feel a sudden urge they cannot hold; others notice leaking stool with little warning. Our urologists at the Alpharetta / Roswell office start by naming the pattern you actually have, because that shapes what is checked next.
What causes stool leakage or a loss of bowel control?
Stool leakage can follow diarrhea or constipation, muscle injury around the anus after childbirth, or nerve injury related to aging, diabetes or a stroke. Hemorrhoids, a stretched rectum or rectal prolapse can also play a part, and more than one of those can be present at the same time. Coffee, soda or alcohol can make urgency worse for some people. The visit is meant to sort out which of those is in play for you, rather than assuming a single explanation from the symptom alone.
When is new bowel leakage urgent?
Go to an emergency room, or call 911, if new leakage comes with numbness in the groin or legs, rectal bleeding, black stool, fever, or a sudden change in bowel control. Those signs can point to a problem that should not wait for a scheduled office visit. For leakage that has been going on and is not paired with those warning signs, book a visit at our Alpharetta / Roswell office, or call 678-344-8900.
What happens at a bowel leakage visit in Alpharetta or Roswell?
The visit starts with your history: when leakage began, whether it is a smear or a larger accident, your diet, medicines, childbirth or surgery history, and any bladder leaks at the same time. An exam and, when it would change the plan, testing in this building come next. Our urologists then talk through first-line steps and whether InterStim for bowel control should be discussed later. This page is educational and is not a diagnosis.
Can bladder leakage and bowel leakage happen together?
Yes. The same pelvic nerves are involved in bladder and bowel control, so urgency or leakage in both can show up together. If that is your situation, our urologists evaluate both at the same visit rather than treating them as unrelated problems. InterStim sacral nerve stimulation is used for certain bladder conditions and for chronic fecal incontinence, which is one reason both issues may be reviewed in the same plan; for bladder symptoms on their own, start with bladder leakage and overactive bladder care.
What treatments are offered for bowel incontinence near me?
Care usually starts with diet and fiber changes, bowel retraining and pelvic floor work, and medicine when those have not been enough. If leakage or urgency continues after those conservative steps, Advanced Urology offers Medtronic InterStim sacral nerve stimulation for chronic fecal incontinence, which begins with a test phase before any permanent implant is discussed. Our Alpharetta / Roswell office evaluates and treats bowel leakage; patients from Alpharetta, Roswell, Milton, Crabapple, Mountain Park and nearby communities are seen at this same office. InterStim for bowel control explains how the test phase and the implant work.
Do you see patients from Milton, Crabapple and Mountain Park for bowel leakage?
Yes. Bowel leakage and fecal incontinence are evaluated and treated at our Alpharetta / Roswell office for patients coming from Alpharetta itself and from Roswell, Milton, Crabapple and Mountain Park. The address is 11660 Alpharetta Hwy Ste 700, Roswell, GA 30076. If InterStim is later planned, our urologists explain where the test and the implant are done, and follow-up is at this office.
Our team at the Alpharetta / Roswell office
Dr. Rut Patel, MD, Director of Robotic Surgery
Physician assistant Anna McMaster, PA-C
Physician assistant Alysha Naran, PA-C
Physician assistant Austin Durden, PA-C
Physician assistant Payton Eason, PA-C
Family nurse practitioner Zohra Sayani, FNP
Our urologists — Dr. Herman Bagga, Dr. Rut Patel, Advanced Urology’s Director of Robotic Surgery, and Dr. Kushan Radadia — see adults from Alpharetta, Roswell, Milton, Crabapple and Mountain Park at 11660 Alpharetta Hwy Ste 700, Roswell, GA 30076. Physician assistants Anna McMaster, Alysha Naran, Austin Durden and Payton Eason, and family nurse practitioner Zohra Sayani, work beside them. Meet the full team.
Communities we see at this office
You are seen at our Alpharetta / Roswell Clinic & Surgery Center, whether you are coming from Roswell, Milton, Crabapple or Mountain Park, or from Alpharetta itself. Our office page has the address, parking and how the clinic and surgery center share this building. All areas we serve.
Related video
An official Advanced Urology conversation on leaky bowel and fecal incontinence:
Read more from Advanced Urology: fecal incontinence · neuromodulation therapy for fecal control. From our articles: What is fecal incontinence (FI)?
Advanced Urology, Alpharetta / Roswell Clinic & Surgery Center11660 Alpharetta Hwy Ste 700Roswell, GA 30076
678-344-8900
This office on advancedurology.com
For education, not medical advice. Every treatment has risks and benefits. Emergency? Call 911 or go to an emergency room.
Whenever you’re ready, our Alpharetta / Roswell team would be glad to hear from you.