Anatomy
Glossary
Here are some terms that you will come across in this site.
- Bowel
- This is a tube of muscle that starts at the back of the mouth and goes all the way to the anal canal. It is called by different names along its length. The first part is the oesophagus (gullet). Then there is the stomach. After that there is the small bowel and that goes on to become the colon (large bowel). The lower end of the colon is called the rectum and it finishes as the anal canal.
- Anal canal
- The last few centimetres of your bowel. This is surrounded by muscles which should keep the anal canal closed and stop you from passing bowel motions apart from when you are on the toilet.
- Anal sphincters
- The muscles around your anal canal which close the canal and stop you from passing bowel motions apart from when you are on the toilet.
- Anus
- The hole in your bottom where bowel motions come out.
- Rectum
- The part of your bowel above the anal canal. Bowel motions are stored there until you can reach a toilet.
- Sacrum
- The large triangular bone which is found at the base of your spine and forms the back of the pelvis.
- InterStim™
- The trade name for the sacral nerve stimulator implant.
- Medtronic
- The company who makes the sacral nerve stimulator devices and equipment.