Approximately 13 million Americans are experiencing some form of incontinence today. 85% of which are women. Incontinence is one of the most common conditions treated by a urologist, especially in women.
With incontinence being so prevalent, it is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. We see far too many people put off seeking treatment and live their lives for years wearing pads or diapers, limiting fluid intake, or avoiding social situations. This doesn’t have to be the case. Incontinence is treatable.
One treatment method used by your urology specialist in Dayton, Ohio is Interstim Therapy. This type of treatment is used to treat urge incontinence and urinary retention.
Urge Urinary Incontinence: This is when you feel like you can never make it to the bathroom in time. With urge incontinence, your bladder may leak without warning. This is caused by an overactive bladder.
Urinary retention: This is when your bladder feels full but you can only get a small amount of urine out on the toilet. Retention is the inability to empty the bladder. With chronic urinary retention, you may be able to urinate, but you have trouble starting a stream or emptying your bladder completely.
When diagnosed with either urge urinary incontinence or urinary retention you will be presented with a few different treatment options. At a urology specialist in Ohio, one of the treatments we commonly use for incontinence is interstim therapy.
What is Interstim Therapy?
Interstim therapy is a proven neuromodulation therapy. This means it is able to target the communication problem that is occuring between the brain and the nerves that control your bladder. It is a miscommunication with these nerves that causes urge incontinence.
Interstim therapy utilizes a small device that sends mild electrical pulses through a wire to nerves near your tailbone with the goal of getting you bladder working the way it’s supposed to.
How is The Interstim Device Inserted?
There are two types of interstim devices, external and internal. For an external insert, Your doctor will numb a small area and insert a thin, flexible wire near your tailbone. The wire is taped to your skin and connected to a small external device, which you’ll wear on your waistband.
An internal interstim device will be inserted under general anesthesia and is considered a surgical procedure.
Talking With Your Urologist About Interstim Therapy
If your Urologist suggests interstim therapy as a treatment option for your urge incontinence or bladder retention, you will first go through a trial period. During the trial period, you will use an external device to see how the therapy affects your incontinence symptoms. If after the trial period you experience positive results, an internal device can be placed.
Interstim is one of the many successful treatment options we have used on patients with symptoms of incontinence. If you have experienced incontinence make an appointment with your urologist to see if it is a treatment you could benefit from.