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According to the National Overactive Bladder Evaluation Program, an estimated 33 million Americans – or 16% of all adults in the United States – are affected by an overactive bladder. One third of these people have a more severe case of overactive bladder where urine leaks uncontrollably, also known as incontinence.
Many adults, particularly women, suffer in silence from this condition, which can become so disruptive that daily living is affected. Women often resort to staying home, withdrawing from friends and family, so as not to be embarrassed in public by leaking urine or the frequent urge to urinate.
There are many different therapies available to treat incontinence, varying from medication to surgery. But thanks to a new non-invasive procedure now being performed at Community Medical Center, women now have another option for bladder control.
The procedure, called InterStim Therapy for Urinary Control, uses mild electrical stimulation of the sacral nerves that influence the behavior of the bladder, sphincter and pelvic floor muscles. Russell Harrell, M.D., immediate past chairman of Community Medical Center’s Obstetrics/Gynecology department and head of the Bladder Center of New Jersey in Toms River, said, “The technology is similar to a pacemaker for the bladder. Just like a pacemaker programs the heart to beat a certain way, the InterStim Therapy sends electrical impulses to the bladder to reprogram the way it performs.”
InterStim, which is covered by Medicare and many health insurance plans, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1997. In 2002, the FDA approved a new, minimally invasive version of InterStim which requires only a small skin puncture and local anesthesia.
As part of the two-step procedure, a patient is first brought to the hospital and under local anesthesia, receives a small wire under the upper part of the buttocks (the sacral nerve is just above the tailbone) that is attached to an external “beeper.” The patient wears the beeper for one week and keeps a diary in regards to how frequently she urinates.
After a week, the diary is reviewed and if it is determined the InterStim technology is regulating the bladder, the patient returns to the hospital to have the technology implanted long-term. This procedure is also done under local anesthesia and the patient goes home the same day. After the stimulator is implanted, the patient receives a remote control to change the stimulator settings if needed, but many patients find it rarely needs adjusting.
“The good news about this technology,” Dr. Harrell said, “is that patients who don’t tolerate side effects of medication to treat overactive bladders often find complete relief with this procedure. There are virtually no side effects and patients are generally very happy with the results, and grateful to have their quality of life back.”
Dr. Harrell said the minimally-invasive procedure is 80 percent effective. “In properly selected patients, InterStim Therapy can dramatically reduce or eliminate overactive bladder symptoms altogether,” he said.
For more information on the InterStim Therapy procedure or referral to a physician in your area, call 1-888-SBHS-123.
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