Janet’s Story: Internal rectal intussusception with dyssynergic defecation and no external prolapse
A 49-year-old healthcare software implementation director looking for an explanation for rectal pressure, incomplete emptying, prolonged straining, vaginal splinting, and a sensation of internal folding without visible external tissue
Janet was a healthcare software implementation director whose first explanation was a prolapse she could not see.
The decision changed when defecography showed internal telescoping without tissue crossing the anus. The combination of rectal pressure, incomplete emptying, prolonged straining, vaginal splinting, and a sensation of internal folding without visible external tissue required a more specific evaluation.
Office examination did not reproduce an external prolapse. Defecography showed internal intussusception, while anorectal testing demonstrated pelvic-floor dyssynergia that required treatment before any anatomic decision.
The final plan used pelvic-floor biofeedback and stool optimization first, followed by multidisciplinary review only if disabling symptoms persisted with confirmed anatomy. Follow-up measured safety, symptom resolution, objective recovery, and the risk of recurrence.
The scan found an internal fold, but the physiology test explained why it became symptomatic.