Physicians in the Emory Continence Center are offering patients new hope for solving severe problems of urinary control that have not responded favorably to more traditional therapy options, including pelvic muscle exercises and medications. The new therapy, called InterStim, sends mild electrical impulses to the sacral nerves in the lower back that control bladder function. A stopwatch-sized neurostimulator, surgically placed under the skin of the abdomen, generates the mild impulses that are carried via a thin implanted lead to the sacral nerves.
An estimated 13 million American men and women suffer from urinary control problems, including urinary retention, urinary urge incontinence and urgency-frequency. Approximately 85 percent of these are women ages 30 to 59. Individuals with urinary retention have difficulty emptying their bladders completely, and thus far have had few treatment options save self-catheterization. Those with urinary urge incontinence or urgency-frequency may feel a strong urge to urinate as many as 40 times a day and often suffer embarrassing or debilitating wetting episodes.
"Although a variety of drug therapies are available for urinary control problems, many people do not respond well to medication," says urologist Niall Galloway, F.R.C.S., medical director of the Emory Continence Center. "In the past, a physician¹s only choice for severe, untreatable problems was to recommend irreversible surgical options. The patients we have treated thus far with this new nerve stimulation therapy have responded very well, however, and we believe it will provide an effective alternative for many individuals."
InterStim therapy, developed by Medtronic, Inc., is based on the electrical stimulation technology the company first pioneered for pacemakers and later adapted to address neurological conditions such as tremor. The urinary control therapy was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last April. In a clinical trial conducted at 23 centers worldwide, patients undergoing the InterStim therapy experienced a significant reduction in symptoms of urinary urge incontinence, urgency-frequency and urinary retention.
A simple diagnostic test in a physician¹s office can help assess whether InterStim therapy will prove effective. After the device is implanted, physicians can non-invasively adjust the strength of stimulation to maximize its benefit for each patient.
Individuals who would like more information about InterStim therapy may call the Emory Continence Center at 770-803-6580.