Fat Tissue Injection Shows Promise for Bowel Control

Fecal incontinence—the inability to control bowel movements—can be deeply distressing and isolating. This small study explored whether injecting processed fat tissue from a patient's own body could help strengthen the anal sphincter muscles responsible for bowel control.

Three Women Treated After Other Options Failed

Researchers in Italy treated three women aged 59 to 73 who had struggled with fecal incontinence for years. All three had already tried other treatments without success. One had undergone surgery for rectal prolapse, another had previous sphincter repair surgery, and the third had both bowel and bladder control problems. Each patient showed signs of a weakened internal anal sphincter on imaging and pressure tests before treatment.

Same-Day Procedure Under Local Anesthesia

The treatment was performed as an outpatient procedure, meaning patients went home the same day. Using local anesthesia, the surgeon:

• Removed about 150 milliliters of fat tissue from the lower abdomen using a small syringe

• Processed the fat through the Lipogems device, which gently breaks it into tiny clusters while washing away blood and oil

• Injected the processed fat tissue into the space around the anal sphincter muscles

The entire fat harvesting step took less than five minutes. The Lipogems technology preserves the natural healing cells within fat tissue—including pericytes (cells that support blood vessel health) and mesenchymal stem cells (regenerative cells)—without using enzymes or harsh chemicals.

Bowel Control Improved Within One Month

All three patients showed measurable improvement in their incontinence symptoms. Researchers tracked progress using the Wexner score, a standard measure where higher numbers indicate worse symptoms. Each patient's score decreased within one month and continued to improve at six months. The patients reported a significantly better quality of life by the end of the study period.

Sphincter Muscle Showed Physical Changes

Beyond symptom improvement, objective measurements confirmed the treatment was having a physical effect. At six months, testing revealed:

• Increased resting pressure in the anal sphincter (by at least 10 millimeters of mercury)

• Greater thickness of the internal anal sphincter muscle on ultrasound imaging

These findings suggest the injected fat tissue may have helped rebuild or strengthen the muscle structure responsible for maintaining continence.

Important Limitations to Consider

This was a preliminary study with only three patients and a follow-up period of just six months. While the results are encouraging, they represent very early evidence. The researchers themselves noted that larger studies across multiple medical centers with longer follow-up periods are needed before this technique can be considered a validated treatment option.

The study also did not compare results against a control group or other treatments, so it's difficult to know how much of the improvement might have occurred naturally or due to other factors.

What This Means for Your Treatment Decision

If you're considering Lipogems for fecal incontinence, this study offers early hope that the approach may work. The procedure appears to be minimally invasive and was well-tolerated by all three patients. However, because this research involved so few people, you should discuss with your doctor whether newer, larger studies have since been published and what other treatment options might be appropriate for your specific situation.

Source: Cestaro et al., Videosurgery and Other Miniinvasive Techniques, 2015.