| Constipation is a common gastrointestinal disease affecting approximately 16.5% of the population in Korea. Access to constipation patients in Korea is almost the same compared to other countries, the actual diagnosis and treatment of constipation patients in Korea may be slightly different from that of other countries. Characteristics of Korean patients with constipation may be different from those of western patients. Korean patients with constipation have a tendency to delay an accurate diagnosis and treatment and to use folk remedies. According to a prospective nationwide multi-center questionnaire study using Rome III questionnaires in Korea, the overlap of GERD or FD was common in patients with constipation. Misconceptions by patients about the six constipation symptoms were relatively common in Korea, which could be valuable for clinicians treating constipation patients. Treatment of chronic constipation based on the underlying pathophysiology is generally successful. Lifestyle changes; bulking agents and stool softeners; osmotic agents; stimulant laxatives; prokinetics; biofeedback and surgical treatments could be applied into patients with constipation. Although systematic studies on constipation have been rarely conducted in Korea, three guidelines for chronic constipation have been developed based upon the adaptation method to help in clinical practice in Korea. In this lecture, I will discuss diagnosis and treatment in Korea, focusing on research results and guidelines published in Korea. |
