Skip to main contentLast updated: 04-Nov-2026
Dr Harsh Shah
MS, MCh (Surgical Gastroenterology), DrNB (Surgical Gastroenterology)
Registered with Gujarat Medical Council, Reg. No. G-38738
GI & Proctology Surgeon
Dr. Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Vasna, Ahmedabad · 18 years of experience
In short
Simple care is the full answer for some people, such as small children, and for others with a bowel that will not empty properly. For a grown adult whose rectum comes right out, it does not close the gap on its own.
Even when an operation is planned, soft stool, no straining and a better toilet routine come first. A repair done on a bowel that is still being strained will not last.
A lump that will not go back, turns dark or hurts a lot is an emergency. Do not manage that one at home.
The full picture of rectal prolapse and its treatment is on our rectal prolapse surgery page. This post covers what you can do without an operation, and where those measures stop.
It depends on what is actually wrong. The same word, prolapse, covers very different problems, and simple care has a different job in each.
| Who | What simple care is for | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Small children with a lining prolapse | The main treatment | Treat the cause, such as loose stool, constipation or poor nutrition. Most settle on their own |
| People who cannot empty because the pelvic floor tightens | The main treatment | Exercise training works better than laxatives alone |
| Small bulges with mild symptoms | First step | Many improve, and a needless operation is avoided |
| Adults who are fit and have a full prolapse | Preparation | Soft stool and no straining before the repair, so the repair lasts |
| Frail adults, or those who decline an operation | Holding measure | Comfort, skin care and a clear plan for emergencies |
Before choosing any of these, we find out which group you are in. The tests that tell them apart are described in our post on how prolapse is checked.
The aim is a soft, formed stool that comes out without pushing. Straining is what drives the rectum down, so this one habit protects you whatever else is decided.
Most families in Gujarat already eat plenty of fibre. For them, the part that most often needs fixing is water, not more roughage.
Yes, a great deal. Posture and habit change how the bowel empties, cost nothing, and are the part of treatment that most people can start today.
| Habit | How to do it | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Raise your feet | Rest your feet on a small stool, knees above hips, lean forward | Straightens the passage, so less pushing is needed |
| Brace, do not strain | Breathe out and gently tighten the belly. Do not hold your breath and push hard | Less pressure on the rectal wall |
| Keep it short | A few minutes is enough. No phone, no newspaper | Long sitting invites pushing and swelling |
| Go when you feel the urge | Do not put it off. After a meal is often a good time | A delayed stool dries out and hardens |
| Avoid fingers as a habit | If you need to press with a finger to empty, tell us | It is a sign that something needs a proper look |
If you use an Indian-style squat toilet, the posture already helps, and you only need to avoid long sitting and hard pushing. On a Western seat, a footstool gives the same effect.
Biofeedback is a form of exercise training for the muscles that open and close the back passage. Sensors show you on a screen what those muscles are doing, so you can learn to control them.
Some people have a muscle that squeezes at the very moment it should relax. They push hard and nothing comes, so they push harder. This keeps the rectum under strain and can bring on a prolapse. Training that muscle to relax often helps more than another laxative.
A single session rarely does it. Benefit comes from several sessions and steady home practice. If a trained pelvic-floor therapist is not close to you, we explain the exercises in clinic and review your progress.
When diet, posture and exercises are not enough, there are a few more steps before anyone thinks about an operation. They are chosen by your main trouble.
| Main trouble | What may help | Things to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Cannot empty fully | A glycerine suppository or small enema at a set time, or bowel washouts through the back passage | Do not depend on them daily without advice |
| Bowel slowed by nerve disease | A fixed timetable for emptying, with suppositories or washouts | Needs teaching and a proper kit |
| Leaking of loose stool | Firming the stool, and training the muscles | Too much laxative makes leaking worse |
| Skin sore from mucus or leaking | Gentle washing and a barrier cream | Sore, broken skin invites infection |
Washouts through the back passage are done at home with water and a set of tubes. They take some teaching, and they can be a real alternative to an operation in selected people.
Some people are too frail, or have other illness, or simply decline surgery. Care is still possible. The goal is comfort, clean skin and safety, and a prolapse that is watched and not forgotten.
Being managed without surgery should never mean being left unwatched. We keep a review date, even if only once or twice a year.
In a fit adult whose rectum comes right out, no diet, exercise or medicine pulls it back for good. Simple care prepares the ground, but the repair is an operation.
Giving simple care a fair trial, usually a few months, is sensible. If symptoms are the same after that, delay mainly adds days of discomfort. The choices of operation are explained in our post on repair through the abdomen, and what to watch for afterwards is in our post on problems and check-ups after surgery.
In small children, usually yes. In people whose bowel will not empty well, simple care can be the main treatment. In a fit adult whose rectum comes right out, it does not close the gap alone, and an operation is the repair.
No. Fibre keeps stool soft, and that cuts down straining, which protects any repair. It does not pull a dropped rectum back up. Fibre without enough water can even make stool harder.
A few minutes is enough. Sit with your feet raised, breathe out and do not hold your breath to push. If nothing comes, get up and try again later. No phone, no newspaper.
It is a treatment. Sensors show you on a screen what your muscles do, and a trained therapist teaches you to relax or tighten them at the right moment. The work is yours, and it needs regular practice at home.
A small one can be put back gently, lying down, with clean hands, once we have shown you how. Never force it. If it will not go back, turns dark or is very painful, come to hospital the same day.
They can, if the stool becomes too loose. For leaking, the aim is a firmer stool, and a medicine such as loperamide may help under advice. For constipation, a gentle laxative is usually fine. We match the medicine to your main trouble.
A fair trial is usually a few months. If you are still pushing the lump back every day, or bleeding and leaking go on, more time rarely helps. We review at each step and decide together.
For the whole range of prolapse care, start at the rectal prolapse surgery page. For questions before you travel, call +91-63555-64601.
Dr Harsh Shah — Dr. Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Vasna, Ahmedabad
Dr. Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Dr Jivraj Mehta Marg, Vasna, Ahmedabad 380007.
Consultations, review of reports and scans, operations and follow-up. OPD Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm.
Appointments: +91-63555-64601 · +91-63590-11009 · Hospital 079-2663 6363
Directions to the hospital · WhatsApp +91-63555-64601
Something comes down when you pass stool, and you want to know what you can do without an operation? Dr Harsh Shah will examine you, tell you honestly how far simple measures can go, and plan the steps with you. Call, or send a message on WhatsApp. Call +91-63555-64601 Ask on WhatsApp
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