2 Results of a national survey among gastrointestinal surgeons 43 Statistical analysis All statistical analyses were performed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS, Chicago, II, USA, version 26.0). To prevent missing data, all questions were mandatory with automated skip logic. The web-based program Survio automatically collected all data after which the data were exported to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and then imported to SPSS. Descriptive analyses were performed on all data. Categorical outcome data across groups were analysed using the Chi-square test. Results Respondents’ characteristics In total, 329 invitations were sent by email to gastrointestinal surgeons, fellows, and residents. Nine email addresses with an invalid domain did not receive the invitation. Hundred-and-six (33%) surveys returned and were completely answered. Forty- one responses were excluded since they did not complete. Respondents’ characteristics are shown in table 1. Eighty-one percent of the respondents were gastrointestinal surgeons and 89% worked in a general hospital. Fifty-nine percent of the responders had at least 10 years of experience with treating CAF and 61% performed more than 10 procedures for CAF per year, including botulinum toxin (BT). Medical history and physical examination From the respondents, 28% never or almost never asked and only 23% always or almost always asked for complaints in other domains of the pelvic floor. A subgroup analysis showed that respondents with more than 10 years of experience in treating CAF slightly more often asked for pelvic floor complaints than respondents with less than 10 years of experience, although not significant. Half of the respondents performed digital rectal examination and 23% performed proctoscopy. Only 22% of the respondents indicated that they always, or almost always, performed physical examination of the pelvic floor muscles, whilst 37% never or almost never did (Table 1). Treatment Ninety-six percent started treatment with fibers and/or laxatives and ointment. In 90% of the respondents, diltiazem was the preferred ointment. Fifty-six percent prescribed
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTk4NDMw