Medtronic interstim bladder/bowel
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Cindy:Lu Yes I really would like to know how it works and if it works, The Uroligist recommended me to try one. I told him I would like to talk to someone who had one put in and they never got in touch with me. I am a 70 year old women with severe overactive and urge incontinence. Please write back and let us know if you are happy with it.
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Sorry to come in late. Work has been crazy, so I'm not able to spend much time here.
I had my Interstim done in November, and I'm very happy with it. The test procedure was uncomfortable, and the final lead placement procedure was very uncomfortable, but the results have made it worth the short-term discomfort. I went from urge incontinence episodes 3-5 times a week to zero accidents since December. I couldn't be happier.
Let me point out that not everyone has the good results I got, and it's worth getting a range of opinions
I still have to fiddle with the controller occasionally - I switched programs last week to try to manage some discomfort I'm having, and my urgency is worse on the new program so I had to switch back this morning. I haven't flown with mine yet, but it can compare getting through security. Mine is the new MRI-sate model, and I had an MRI in January with no problems.
Overall I'm very glad I got it.
I had my Interstim done in November, and I'm very happy with it. The test procedure was uncomfortable, and the final lead placement procedure was very uncomfortable, but the results have made it worth the short-term discomfort. I went from urge incontinence episodes 3-5 times a week to zero accidents since December. I couldn't be happier.
Let me point out that not everyone has the good results I got, and it's worth getting a range of opinions
I still have to fiddle with the controller occasionally - I switched programs last week to try to manage some discomfort I'm having, and my urgency is worse on the new program so I had to switch back this morning. I haven't flown with mine yet, but it can compare getting through security. Mine is the new MRI-sate model, and I had an MRI in January with no problems.
Overall I'm very glad I got it.
Archives1
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I sure wish you the best of luck with it! Is been transformative for me, and I hope your trial goes successfully.
I had only slight improvement during the trial, but it was still an improvement. My urologist insisted on putting the permanent leads in while I was conscious so that I could provide feedback on the placement, because she said that it is the only way to make sure they're really in the right spot. I can't argue with the results now that I have the permanent leads.
I had only slight improvement during the trial, but it was still an improvement. My urologist insisted on putting the permanent leads in while I was conscious so that I could provide feedback on the placement, because she said that it is the only way to make sure they're really in the right spot. I can't argue with the results now that I have the permanent leads.
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stuart said:
Not naive at all - it's an excellent question.
Newer Interstims have a two-part control. The first part is a little brick about the size of a small smartphone. This has a magnetic coil in it that communicates with the implant, so it has to be held right over the implant when using it. When I need to make adjustments (which isn't often) I just tuck it in the waistband of my pants to hold it in place.
The second part is a Samsung Galaxy smartphone. It's not one of the high-end models, and it's got a stripped-down set of apps and is locked up so that you can't install anything else on it - yes, I tried! It communicates by Bluetooth to the other part of the controller.
On the smartphone there's an app called My Therapy that I can use to switch programs and adjust the intensity. Mine has six programs, which vary in which of the four contacts in the electrode they use and what frequencies and waveforms they send. The doctor and the Medtronic rep have more advanced software that lets them set up the programs, so they can adjust them to the individual patient, but as the patient I don't get to do that. I mostly adjust the intensity, occasionally switch programs if the effectiveness seems to be diminishing, and I can turn it on and off or put it in MRI mode if I need to.
The way my urologist explained it to me is that the electrode has four contacts at various points along its length. When she implanted it, she put it along the nerve close to where it exits my spine, but the distance from the different contacts can vary, so some are more effective than others. I know that when I switch programs, the sensation can feel different, and can seem to come from different areas of my perineum.
Older Interstims used a purpose-built box to control them, that had a wired connection to the magnetic controller. The new system is really nice, since it's wireless, and nobody questions why I carry around a smartphone (though they do occasionally question why I carry three - personal phone, work phone, and Interstim controller phone!)
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Itapilot: thank you very much for taking the time to provide a very clear explanation of how the adjustments work. my urologist has suggested I get the Inerstim but i have been very hesitant. He also had me go through the Rezum procedure which was tantamount to torture so I am a little gun-shy.
I hope things continue to work well for you.
I hope things continue to work well for you.
Archives1
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I completely understand your reluctance. It's surgery, so there's an incision, there's some pain, and there's a recovery period.
For me, both the trial (which used temporary leads and an external box that has to be carried in a little fanny pack) and the final procedure that implanted the device under the skin were somewhat painful. Getting the leads placed wasn't fun, and they had a problem with the first site they tried during the permanent placement so I got to go through it twice in the same surgery. The site is numbed, but they're working right next to a nerve, so it is still painful. It's far from the worst pain I've experienced, but it was maybe 8/10 for five minutes of the trial procedure and twenty minutes of the final surgery. Not every doctor does the final lead placement with the patient awake, but my doc said that having me awake and able to provide feedback was the best way to place the leads in the right spot.
After the leads we placed, they gave me general anesthesia so I want awake while they made the incision and put the device itself in place. Afterwards I had some pain at the incision site, mostly because they placed it right where my belt usually sits. It took a while to heal, but then I'm 50 and don't heal as fast as I used to. I had no complications other than some mild pain at the incision site.
I'm glad I got it. My accidents have completely stopped, which is amazing. I still have some minor urgency, but nothing like before when it would hit so hard and fast that I had no chance to get to a bathroom. I still stress a bit about times when I'm not close to a restroom, but that's gradually improving. It's been about five months since the surgery, so I'm still getting used to having control back.
For me, both the trial (which used temporary leads and an external box that has to be carried in a little fanny pack) and the final procedure that implanted the device under the skin were somewhat painful. Getting the leads placed wasn't fun, and they had a problem with the first site they tried during the permanent placement so I got to go through it twice in the same surgery. The site is numbed, but they're working right next to a nerve, so it is still painful. It's far from the worst pain I've experienced, but it was maybe 8/10 for five minutes of the trial procedure and twenty minutes of the final surgery. Not every doctor does the final lead placement with the patient awake, but my doc said that having me awake and able to provide feedback was the best way to place the leads in the right spot.
After the leads we placed, they gave me general anesthesia so I want awake while they made the incision and put the device itself in place. Afterwards I had some pain at the incision site, mostly because they placed it right where my belt usually sits. It took a while to heal, but then I'm 50 and don't heal as fast as I used to. I had no complications other than some mild pain at the incision site.
I'm glad I got it. My accidents have completely stopped, which is amazing. I still have some minor urgency, but nothing like before when it would hit so hard and fast that I had no chance to get to a bathroom. I still stress a bit about times when I'm not close to a restroom, but that's gradually improving. It's been about five months since the surgery, so I'm still getting used to having control back.
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