TREATMENTS
InterStim® Therapy: A Stimulating Chance for Change
For women who suffer from urinary incontinence, the benefits provided by InterStim® Therapy can be life-changing, not only reducing their urgency to urinate, but also providing them with greater control in their ability to completely empty their bladder during urination. At Coyle Institute, we feel confident in offering this innovative device as a solution to the women in our care, believing that it can safely and effectively treat their urge incontinence, overactive bladder, and other bladder control conditions that have limited their ability to function normally and have caused them great distress.
Impulse Control
No one should suffer the physical and emotional limitations that often come with an uncontrollable or abnormally urgent bladder, and because we want our patients to be provided with the latest treatments available, we offer the highly proven option of InterStim® Therapy. InterStim® is a small neurotransmitter device that works by sending electrical impulses to stimulate the sacral nerve, which is located in the lower back just above the tailbone and directly controls the flow of signals sent between the brain and the bladder and the surrounding muscles to manage urinary function. By stimulating the sacral nerve, the impulses to urinate are both reduced and more easily controlled, which means that urinating frequently, incontinence, and urgency can all be treated successfully, even in patients for whom more conservative treatments would be ineffective.
The InterStim® system requires only a minimally invasive surgical procedure to implant the device under the skin and can be done on an outpatient basis in a matter of hours. Before the permanent device is implanted, a trial lead is implanted to test the patient’s response to the treatment for one to two weeks. Once the therapy is proven to show results, the permanent device will then be implanted in the patient and should require only a very limited amount of monitoring every year. Though there will be some initial soreness at the incision site and discomfort as the patient adjusts to the stimulations, most women will only be advised to reduce their regular activity level for the first three to six weeks in order to allow the incision to heal properly, after which full activity levels can be resumed.
Depending on the individual and their level of use, the InterStim® device’s batteries will need to be replaced every three to five years, at which point the entire device will be replaced. There are, of course, certain complications which may result from the implantation of the device, such as infection or ongoing pain at the implant site; technical problems or mechanical failure; and movement of the lead, but cases are rare and usually easily corrected.
As a board-certified practitioner in female pelvic medicine and reproductive surgery with years of training and expertise in performing minimally invasive surgery, Dr. Michael Coyle and his staff at Coyle Institute are highly qualified to offer the InterStim® system and have seen proven results in the women who choose this innovative method of treatment. Our patients are our first priority, and by providing InterStim® Therapy, we feel that we’re offering them a chance to live a happier, healthier life.
Taking control of your health is an impulse that shouldn’t be ignored! Give the team at Coyle Institute a call today!