Low Anterior Resection Syndrome: Symptoms and Treatment Options

Posted by AweSamo March 4, 2026
LARS: The Colorectal Cancer Surgery Side Effect No One Talks About

Because LARS symptoms can vary widely from person to person, your doctor will likely try different treatment strategies with you to see what works best.

Lifestyle Changes

Dietary modification is the primary treatment for LARS. Some common dietary triggers include spicy food, caffeine, and alcohol, but not everyone’s triggers are the same.

Keeping a food and symptom diary can help identify your triggers. Your doctor may recommend working with a dietitian, who can help you create a personalized diet plan to reduce symptoms.

Tracking physical activity can also be useful, since this often plays a role in LARS symptoms.

 “When you walk and exercise, you increase abdominal pressure and so it can increase the symptoms,” says Dr. Boutros.

Boutros also recommends tracking the time of day when symptoms occur, which can help determine what strategies will be most effective. For example, she says, if patients recognize that symptoms are worse in the evening, they can make changes like eating dinner earlier or taking medications with dinner rather than breakfast.

Medications and Supplements

Medications and supplements used to treat LARS include:

  • Fiber supplements, such as psyllium husk, to help prevent multiple bowel movements within a short time period

  • Antidiarrheals, such as loperamide (Imodium) and ramosetron, which can reduce incontinence and urgency

  • Laxatives to treat constipation, which can lead to “overflow” diarrhea

  • Ondansetron (Zofran), a medication that’s commonly used to prevent nausea and is known to slow down bowel motility

  • Perianal skincare to reduce anal skin irritation

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

Many people have weakened pelvic floor muscles after surgery, which can cause incontinence or difficulty having a bowel movement. Pelvic floor physical therapy can be a great option for treating these symptoms because it can improve bowel function without causing side effects.

Physiotherapists often use techniques like pelvic floor muscle training and biofeedback that focus on helping you regain control over your bowels.

Enemas and Transanal Irrigation

Enemas, in which water or saline is injected into the rectum and lower colon, can be effective for treating LARS, though the effects are stronger in the short-term.

Transanal irrigation is a procedure in which you self-administer a balloon filled with warm water into the rectum, which causes the bowels to empty. This allows you to control when you have bowel movements. The process takes about 20 to 30 minutes and must be performed daily. “It needs a motivated patient,” says Boutros, “but it really does change people’s quality of life.”

Sacral Nerve Stimulation

Sacral nerve stimulation uses a device that stimulates the nerves controlling the bowels to make bowel movements more regular.

 “It’s something that is surgical, but not as invasive,” says Moon. Studies show that it may be effective for reducing incontinence caused by LARS and improving quality of life.

Colostomy

A colostomy is a surgical procedure in which a hole called a stoma is created in the abdominal wall and connected to the colon, bypassing your rectum altogether.

 Stool collects in a bag outside of the stomach.

Permanent colostomy is used only in cases where other treatments fail to improve symptoms.

 “It’s not common, but it is certainly an option that people will seek out,” says Moon.

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