Tampa, Fla. – A surgical implant of an InterStim® neurostimulator for bladder control will be performed live over the Internet from Tampa General Hospital on December 4, 2008 at 4:00 p.m. ET. The procedure involves surgically implanting a device that stimulates the sacral nerve - the nerve that controls the bladder and muscles related to urinary function - with mild electrical pulses. The electrical pulses facilitate communication between the brain and the bladder to help relieve the symptoms of uncontrollable bladder.
Over 35 million people suffer from bladder control problems at some time in their lives. Although it is more common in older adults, and more likely to occur in women than men, it can affect anyone. When properly functioning, the pelvic floor muscles contract to support the bladder as it fills. Bladder control problems occur as the pelvic muscles weaken. Those suffering from uncontrollable bladder may experience unexpected urine leakage, frequent bathroom use, or have the feeling of not being able to completely empty the bladder. Many experience a combination of these symptoms.
Raviender Bukkapatnam, M.D., Tampa Bay Urology Institute, Urologic Surgery and Female and Reconstructive Urology, chief of the division of urology, Tampa General Hospital, will perform the procedure making a small incision in the upper buttock to allow insertion of the neurostimulator and another incision in the lower back where a long-term electrode is inserted. The procedure will be narrated by Lennox Hoyte, M.D., director of urogynecology, Tampa General Hospital, and associate professor and division chief of urogynecology and female pelvic reconstructive surgery for the University of South Florida College of Medicine.
Bladder control problems can result from menopause or an enlarged prostate. Other factors that can contribute to bladder control problems include pregnancy and childbirth, obesity, weak pelvic muscles, diabetes, prostate cancer, bladder cancer or stones, neurological disorders, certain medications, high calcium levels, or inactivity.
Candidates for neuromodulation include those individuals experiencing symptoms of bladder control problems who have not responded to other treatments. Before surgical implementation of the InterStim® device, a patient is assessed to make sure neuromodulation is the right treatment. The assessment involves placing a thin wire near the tailbone which is connected to a small stimulator worn on a belt. The stimulator sends mild electrical pulses through the thin wire to one of the sacral nerves. If the pulses result in an increase in proper bladder function, the patient will proceed to the surgical procedure. Patients can return to usual activities within a few days after the test procedure.
The minimally invasive surgical procedure is typically done on an outpatient basis and takes only a few hours. During the procedure the half-dollar sized neurostimulator is implanted. Recovery times vary, but patients typically resume their usual activities in about a month. Stimulation settings are adjusted during follow-up office visits and patient symptoms decrease or go away.
The procedure will eventually need to be repeated to replace the neurostimulator when the battery runs down. Battery life depends on the individual settings programmed by a patient's physician and can last for seven to ten years. The physician can determine the expected battery life after the first programming. Patients can then check the status of the battery with their own patient programmer.
