Background: Anorectal surgery covers a wide spectrum of surgery. Diagnostic workup of anorectal disease is based on clinical examination with basic functional tests followed by more elaborate diagnostic tests. Since the incidence of anorectal disorders increases with age, more patients will present in outpatient clinics, thus underlining the relevance of this topic.
Methods: A PubMed literature search was performed using the terms 'anal incontinence', 'anal and rectal surgery', 'functional diagnostics', and combinations of these terms. No restriction regarding publication year or publication type was applied but randomized trials, 'metanalyses', or guidelines were ranked higher. Only articles in English or German were included.
Results: The diagnostic value of digital rectal examination, anal manometry and endosonography, the water holding procedure, contrast enema, and incontinence scores is summarized.
Conclusion: The article focusses on basic clinical and functional diagnostic tests which can be easily applied in the pre- and postoperative setting to evaluate the postoperative outcome.
Keywords: Anal incontinence; Anal manometry; Anorectal surgery; Digital rectal examination; Water holding procedure.