Reviewer's report
Title:A randomised, controlled study of small intestinal motility in patients treated
with sacral nerve stimulation for irritable bowel syndrome.
Version:2Date:23 March 2014
Reviewer: Gregory Thomas
Reviewer's report:
This is very interesting study. It is well designed and makes a useful addition to
the literature. It is well written and clearly laid out. It is of interest that it improves
the symptoms of IBS, and yet shows no objective improvement in gsatric or small
bowel motility.
Major compulsory revisions
1. Are the patients used in the study the same as those reported in the recent
Annals paper? This will need to be mentioned if so.
2. Was a power calculation attempted and if not, why not?
3. Was a "washout period" during the cross over considered?
4. Can the authors define "mixed ibs"?
5. There is a wide range of length of exposure to sns in those patients included.
Do the authors feel this may have influenced results? Could they suggest a
minimum time of exposure to merit inclusion in this study?
6. Where the sns devices implanted as part of their usual clinical care or was this
as part of a previous study? At present in the UK, the use of sns is restricted to
faecal incontinence and constipation and not ibs.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Reviewer's report
Title:A randomised, controlled study of small intestinal motility in patients treated
with sacral nerve stimulation for irritable bowel syndrome.
Version:2Date:23 March 2014
Reviewer: Gregory Thomas
Reviewer's report:
This is very interesting study. It is well designed and makes a useful addition to
the literature. It is well written and clearly laid out. It is of interest that it improves
the symptoms of IBS, and yet shows no objective improvement in gsatric or small
bowel motility.
Major compulsory revisions
1. Are the patients used in the study the same as those reported in the recent
Annals paper? This will need to be mentioned if so.
2. Was a power calculation attempted and if not, why not?
3. Was a "washout period" during the cross over considered?
4. Can the authors define "mixed ibs"?
5. There is a wide range of length of exposure to sns in those patients included.
Do the authors feel this may have influenced results? Could they suggest a
minimum time of exposure to merit inclusion in this study?
6. Where the sns devices implanted as part of their usual clinical care or was this
as part of a previous study? At present in the UK, the use of sns is restricted to
faecal incontinence and constipation and not ibs.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:A randomised, controlled study of small intestinal motility in patients treated
with sacral nerve stimulation for irritable bowel syndrome.
Version:2Date:23 March 2014
Reviewer: Gregory Thomas
Reviewer's report:
This is very interesting study. It is well designed and makes a useful addition to
the literature. It is well written and clearly laid out. It is of interest that it improves
the symptoms of IBS, and yet shows no objective improvement in gsatric or small
bowel motility.
Major compulsory revisions
1. Are the patients used in the study the same as those reported in the recent
Annals paper? This will need to be mentioned if so.
2. Was a power calculation attempted and if not, why not?
3. Was a "washout period" during the cross over considered?
4. Can the authors define "mixed ibs"?
5. There is a wide range of length of exposure to sns in those patients included.
Do the authors feel this may have influenced results? Could they suggest a
minimum time of exposure to merit inclusion in this study?
6. Where the sns devices implanted as part of their usual clinical care or was this
as part of a previous study? At present in the UK, the use of sns is restricted to
faecal incontinence and constipation and not ibs.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
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