Proper diagnosis is the key to the successful treatment of defecation disorders, such as ODS. Diagnosis can be complex and requires evaluations by your primary care physician, gastroenterologist, and colorectal surgeon to be sure the actual cause – or causes – of the disorder is identified.

In addition to a careful history and physical examination, some of the diagnostic tests that may be performed to determine whether an individual has a defecation disorder such as ODS are:

• Colonoscopy — allows a doctor to look at the interior lining of the large intestine (rectum and colon) through a thin, flexible viewing instrument called a colonoscope. The test looks for abnormalities, including narrowing or obstructions and inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
• Colonic marker studies — the patient swallows small radiopaque markers, which can be seen on x-ray films. During a period of seven days, the patient is x-rayed to track the progress of the markers and see how quickly they are moving through the digestive tract.
• Electromyography (EMG) — tests for weakness in the pelvic floor muscles and the muscles surrounding the anus to determine how well they are working.
• Anal manometry — tests how well the muscles surrounding the anus are working.
• Dynamic defecography — during this test, the patient sits on a special toilet and strains while being viewed under x-ray. Images are taken while a paste mixture passes through the bowel. This allows your doctor to assess bowel function.