BLADDER CONTROL PROBLEMS

You may be one of millions of people who suffer from frustrating and embarrassing bladder control problems. These conditions, which prevent you from controlling when and how much you urinate, can make simple, everyday activities a challenge and social lives very difficult. You may have to cut back on your hobbies or stop working. You may feel trapped by a fear of leaking accidents, the need to be close to a bathroom at all times, and an overall preoccupation with your bladder.

You can be any age to have bladder control problems. You may try treatments such as diet changes, exercise, medications, and biofeedback. These treatments, however, do not always ease symptoms. In such cases, you must manage your bladder control problems with external collection devices such as catheters or absorbent undergarments. Or, you may consider surgery.

Now, for those in whom more conservative treatments do not work well, there is a therapy that may help. Medtronic Interstim Therapy for Urinary control may provide relief from symptoms and allow you to return to a more normal life.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF BLADDER CONTROL PROBLEMS

Retention
If you have retention you may:

With retention, you may store increasingly larger volumes of urine.

Symptoms of Overactive Bladder
Including:

Urge Incontinence
If you have urge incontinence, you may:

Urgency Frequency
If you have urgency-frequency, you may:

What Is InterStim Therapy?
InterStim Therapy is indicated for people with urinary retention and the symptoms of overactive bladder including urinary urge incontinence and significant symptoms of urgency-frequency in selected individuals. The therapy uses a small implanted medical device to send mild electrical pulses to a nerve located just above the tailbone. This nerve, called the sacral nerve, controls the bladder and surrounding muscles that manage urinary function. The electrical stimulation may eliminate or reduce certain bladder control symptoms in some people.

How Will I know If InterStim Therapy Will Work for Me?
A physician’s examination and evaluation can determine whether you are a candidate for InterStim Therapy. If your bladder control problems are not effectively managed by more conservative treatments and you have otherwise normally functioning urinary systems, you are a potential candidate.

A test (the temporary test stimulation) is used before implantation of the therapy to see what the effect of stimulation is on your symptoms. A test lead is surgical placed through a small incision near the appropriate sacral nerve, and mild stimulation with an external device is provided for several days. During the test stimulation, you will record your symptoms in a special diary. If symptoms improve or disappear during the test period, long-term use of InterStim Therapy may be appropriate for you.

What Does the Therapy Involve?
A lead (a think wire with small electrodes at its tip) is surgically placed near the appropriate sacral nerve that controls urinary function. The lead is passed under the skin to a small neurostimulator (approximately the size of a stopwatch) that is placed in a “pocket” just beneath the skin.

The neurostimulator, which contains a special battery and electronics to control the stimulation to the sacral nerve, is usually placed by the physician in the upper buttock or lower abdomen.

The stimulator typically runs for 7-9 years and then can be replaced running an outpatient procedure.

Adjustments to the stimulation can be made in a physician’s office with a hand-held programmer. InterStim Therapy is reversible – it can be programmed off at any time.

What Are the Potential Benefits of InterStim Therapy?
InterStim Therapy may eliminate or reduce symptoms caused by bladder control problems.

You should talk to your doctor about all of your options. For a referral to a Urologist, contact our physician referral service at 1-866-362-7335.