TREATMENTS

InterStim®: Long-term Relief
for Overactive Bladder

If frantically running for the bathroom has become a part of your daily and nightly routine, you may be asking yourself, “Why have I lost control of my bladder?” Urinary urgency and frequency can be a sign of an overactive bladder (OAB). The constant need for bathroom breaks and the associated anxiety with this issue can be disruptive to your daily life. Additionally, if you do not make it in time, OAB can be embarrassing.

Coyle Institute has seen innumerable success stories of women who have regained control of their lives thanks to InterStim® therapy.

Overactive Bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB) is when the bladder muscles contract suddenly, causing an abrupt and urgent need to urinate and sometimes urine leakage or incontinence.

This common condition is on the rise with our aging population. About 17 percent of women experience OAB, with occurrence rising to more than 30 percent for those older than 75.

Symptoms include:

  • Sudden urgent need to urinate
  • Urinary leakage
  • Being awakened by the need to urinate several times during the night
  • Frequent urination during the day

OAB can stem from a variety of causes, including:

  • Neurological disorders
  • Diabetes
  • Medications that increase urine production
  • Medications that need to be taken with an excess of fluids
  • Acute urinary tract infections
  • Bladder abnormalities
  • Excess consumption of alcohol or caffeine
  • Declining cognitive function
  • Incomplete bladder emptying

We can diagnose OAB through patient history, physical examination and basic bladder testing. The condition may be made more complicated by prior prolapse surgery, prior radical pelvic surgery, history of pelvic radiation, advanced prolapse, incomplete bladder emptying, recurrent urinary tract infections or hematuria.

The first line of therapy will be to try medications, such as Myrbetriq or Detrol. If these do not control your symptoms, the advanced therapy with Interstim® will be considered.

How InterStim® Therapy can Help

The InterStim® neuromodulator is a small, surgically implanted device that is used to treat the symptoms of an overactive bladder.

Interstim therapy sends mild electrical pulses to the sacral nerves, which lie just above the tailbone and control bladder muscle contractions. The electrical pulses help to correct faulty signals between the bladder and brain and improve the external sphincter tone.

The device sends electrical impulses to stimulate the sacral nerve in the lower back, which directly controls the signals sent between the brain and the bladder and surrounding muscles that manage urinary function.

This stimulation reduces and controls the impulses to urinate. InterStim® therapy dramatically reduces day and nighttime frequency, incontinence as well as episodes of uncontrollable urgency.

Implanting the InterStim®

InterStim® requires a minimally invasive surgical procedure to implant the device under the skin. The procedure can be done on an outpatient basis in a matter of hours.

Before implanting the permanent device, patients will do a trial run to monitor their response to treatment. Once InterStim® is proven as an appropriate therapy for an individual’s needs, the permanent device is implanted. There are two different newer devices that can be used. One is a rechargeable device that lasts 15 years, and the other is a non rechargeable device that lasts 10-15 years, both devices are MRI compatible. Here at Coyle Institute we will discuss which device is a good fit for you.

Most women experience soreness at the incision site and some discomfort as they adjust to the stimulation of the sacral nerve.  After the incision heals, typically within three to six weeks, women can resume their normal activities.

InterStim® is Effective

Studies have shown that after three years, 59 percent of urge incontinent patients continued to have significant improvement, with 46 percent of the patients being completely dry.

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. They have seen proven success for women who opt for this innovative treatment.

If you are experiencing frequent and urgent urination or urinary incontinence, call the team at Coyle Institute and schedule a consultation.