I have had my Interstim for a bit over two years. It has helped me a lot. Combined with Botox injections, it's gotten me to the point that I am continent much of the time, though not all the time depending on where I am in the Botox cycle.
I started with a four day trial of the basic test device that was placed in the doctor's office with a local anesthetic. I went from there to the permanent implant, which had the lead placed under a local anesthetic before they put me under a general and put the device under the skin of my left flank, above the buttock and belt line. When they did the lead, they initially placed it on the right side of my spine, but they could not get the placement right (as judged by my feedback of the sensations I was feeling) so they switched it to the left side and got the sensation they wanted, a feeling like someone tapping on my perineum. That part of the surgery was fairly painful even with the local anesthetic.
My lead has four wires and is "conditionally MRI safe," suitable for use in 1.5 Tesla machines but not the newer 3 Tesla machines. The Tesla number indicates the strength of the magnetic field of the magnet, which controls the resolution of the machine. I get yearly MRIs to monitor my liver disease, so I waited several years for Medtronic's MRI-safe leads, since making sure I do not have bile duct cancer is more important than managing bladder pain. My urologist brought up Interstim in 2013 or 2014, but I didn't get the device until 2020 when the new leads were finally approved by the FDA.
I chose the non-rechargeable version with an estimated ten year battery life. My thought is that technology improves rapidly, and what's available in 2030 when I need a new battery will be better than the 2020 version, so replacing the device is an opportunity to upgrade. I like not having to charge it - I go months at a time without even thinking about it, now that I've got the program and level set right. If i start getting symptoms, I can go in and change the program and level, but this isn't all that common for me.
The urologist I had at the time was fantastic. I did not get any pressure to go with Interstim, nor any other specific procedure. We discussed the pros and cons of each, and she let me make the final decision and respected that. She retired in 2021, and my new doctor isn't as thorough nor as willing to listen to my input. I'm still seeing if I can get him trained up, though.
If you feel pressure from your doctor, get a second opinion or change doctors. Wichita is roughly the size of Albuquerque where I live, and there are multiple medical groups here with urology practice, plus a number of doctors not associated with one of the big groups. I can go to my insurance website and get a list of the various doctors who take my insurance. I don't know what your insurances situation is, so I don't know how many doctors you have access to, but I do know that many doctors not associated with big groups will take most insurance plans and may be an option for you.
Overall, I'm very satisfied with my Interstim, and I'd do it again.
