Antegrade Continence Enema: Benefits and Considerations

The broad term “ACE” refers to an antegrade continence enema that allows you to flush or empty the colon starting from the beginning of the colon (cecum) and flushing to the end (rectum) for patients with true fecal incontinence or constipation with the inability to empty the bowel with oral therapy. The terms “cecostomy,” “MACE,” “ACE,” and “Malone” have often been used interchangeably; however, they do have technical differences. The purpose of this article is to describe and compare specifically Malone/appendicostomy, neo-Malone/neo-appendicostomy, and cecostomy. The contents of this publication are compiled of both expert opinions and literature review.