An anal plug (or anal tampon) is a

medical device A medical device is any device intended to be used for medical purposes. Significant potential for hazards are inherent when using a device for medical purposes and thus medical devices must be proved safe and effective with reasonable assur ...

sometimes used to treat

fecal incontinence Fecal incontinence (FI), or in some forms encopresis, is a lack of control over defecation, leading to involuntary loss of bowel contents, both liquid stool elements and mucus, or solid feces. When this loss includes flatus (gas), it is referre ...

by blocking involuntary loss of fecal material. They vary in design and composition, but are typically single-use intra-anal disposable devices made out of soft materials for containing fecal material A 2015 systematic review found that anal plugs may be helpful in alleviating fecal incontinence, provided that they are tolerated and that patients comply with them. Although more commonly used in patients with neurological disorders (i.e. meningomyelocele), they can be used for anal incontinence of any cause. Some examples of commercially available anal plugs are: Peristeen produced by

Coloplast Coloplast A/S is a Danish multinational company that develops, manufactures and markets medical devices and services related to ostomy, urology, continence, and wound care. History Coloplast was founded in 1957 by Aage Louis-Hansen. His son ...

and a polyvinyl-alcohol plug called A-Tam Analtampons produced by Med SSE-System in Germany. The Peristeen (formerly Conveen) plug is a disposable foam insert that expands when exposed to the warm and moisture of the anal canal. It has a conical tip and a removal cord. The A-Tam Analtampons are similarly made of foam and come in various shapes such as cylindrical, spiral and ball-headed.

References

Gastroenterology Incontinence Defecation Medical devices {{treatment-stub