InterStim® – How Does It Work?
Introduction to InterStim®
At Bladder & Bowel Institute, we believe in leveraging advanced technologies to improve the lives of our patients. One such innovative treatment we offer is InterStim® Therapy for Bladder and Bowel Control, an FDA-approved solution for those struggling with bladder and bowel control problems. To understand how InterStim® works, it helps to first understand how the normal bladder functions.
Normal Bladder Function
As the normal bladder fills up, it sends a small nerve signal to your brain, indicating it’s becoming full. When you’re in the restroom and ready to empty your bladder, your brain sends a more substantial signal back to the bladder, prompting it to contract and empty, much like squeezing a balloon.
Understanding Overactive Bladder
For some individuals, as the bladder begins to fill, it prematurely sends signals to the brain that it’s full, causing an urge to urinate before you’ve reached the restroom. This overactivity of nerve signals results in a miscommunication between the bladder and the brain, leading to symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB).
Traditional therapies such as OAB medications and Botox injections work on the bladder muscle to prevent or slow these abnormal bladder contractions. These therapies can be effective for some patients, but they don’t address the root cause: the miscommunication or overactivity of nerve signals.
How InterStim® Works
InterStim® therapy can be likened to eliminating background noise in a crowded room to improve communication. It works by delivering a small electrical impulse that blocks out inappropriate nerve signals, reducing the “background noise,” and thus, restoring normal communication between your bladder and brain. It is also thought to work similarly for bowel control.
InterStim® Test Procedure and Trial
The first step with InterStim® therapy is the test procedure, which takes about 5 minutes and is performed in our facility. Using X-ray guidance, we place two hair-like wires right next to the nerves that control your bladder and bowel function, located near the tip of your tailbone. No incisions are required for this test. At the conclusion of the test, you will wear a small stimulator in an elastic belt for 3-4 days, allowing you to trial the therapy, and if your symptoms improve by at least 50% during this trial period, you are likely to benefit from long-term therapy.
Approximately 80% of our patients see significant improvement during the test and proceed with the long-term therapy.
InterStim® Implant Procedure
The InterStim® implant procedure involves the implantation of a small battery and wire, similar to a heart pacemaker, just beneath the skin. This 20–30-minute outpatient procedure is done right in our surgical suite using local anesthesia and mild IV sedation.
The battery and wire are implanted under the skin, with the wire placed in the same location as the temporary wire used during the trial. The battery is placed in the upper part of the buttocks, below your belt line, but above where you sit. Everything is hidden under the skin, and the system provides long-term relief from bladder and bowel control problems.
Because it’s an outpatient procedure done right in our facility, you can expect to go home within an hour or so, with most of our patients resuming their normal activities within a day or so.
InterStim therapy has transformed the treatment of bladder and bowel control problems. Over 350,000 patients worldwide have been treated with this long-term therapy, including over four thousand of our own patients at Bladder & Bowel Institute.
Don’t let bladder or bowel control issues disrupt your life.
Contact us today through our website or call or text 870.416.0904 to learn how Bladder & Bowel Institute can help you restore control and reclaim your life.
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