Interstim devices pros and cons ?

[wetatnight]

[John Davis]

Wetatnight,

This should help you.

The Medtronic InterStim Therapy for Urinary Control was approved for use in the U.S. in 1997.

[wetatnight]

Thank you John Davis

I appreciate your feed back and would like to hear what others have to say about Interstim therapy

[Baby Brian]

NO! Stay away from it! DO NOT GET THE IMPLANT!

[wetatnight]

Thank you baby Brian

[SIDincontinent]

One of my 13 doctors wanted me to get the INTERSTIM. He told me I wouldn't be able to work during the trial period, and it appears as though I'd have to be out of work for 3-6 weeks after the surgery for the permanent one. I can't take 8 weeks off from work as nobody's paying me to sit at home.......OAB Meds did nothing but make me impotent and constipated with cotton mouth.......I'll stick to diapers and the Foley catheters........

[Baby Brian]

One of my 13 doctors wanted me to get the INTERSTIM. He told me I wouldn't be able to work during the trial period, and it appears as though I'd have to be out of work for 3-6 weeks after the surgery for the permanent one. I can't take 8 weeks off from work as nobody's paying me to sit at home.......OAB Meds did nothing but make me impotent and constipated with cotton mouth.......I'll stick to diapers and the Foley catheters........

Nah, I worked

[SIDincontinent]

He told me that I could not work during the trial period. I have a job that is very physical, and often unpredictable. I emailed him to ask some further questions about it as I was instructed to do so and he never bothered to email me back. I took that as a sign that it wasn't a fit for me with a doctor that was going to be unresponsive.

[Dill_Pickle]

Seems to me, the idea of the device is backwards.

If the bladder is suddenly contracting, it's full.

[Baby Brian]

For me, they had to make a 5" long incision horizontally across my lower back (just above my waist line. They insert the lead in a slightly different spot, but need the long incision to see exactly where it actually goes. they would also use this incision to implant the actual interstim device/batery if the two week test goes ok. If you have a physically demanding job then I can see the work limitation. It would be easy to tear open that large incision before it can heal.

Dill, that would be true for most normal people, but those with an overactive or urgent bladder will get bladder contractions before your bladder is actually full. Alternatively, (like me) you can also get errant signals when they aren't normally supposed to happen at all,

[Dill_Pickle]

Brian:

Even if you had a lawsuit you could clearly win, it still might not be worth the emotional effort.

[Dill_Pickle]

Funny...after thinking about this subject further, it came to me that maybe you really need a neurologist...after all, the problem you are experiencing is fundamentally neurological in origin -- the reflex loop between your bladder and its outlet was disrupted, and all else follows.

[Baby Brian]

I have been to a neurologist! He was able to test my general reflexes and did determine they were all working properly.

[wrgb]

i was think of the interstim surgery,

[John Davis]

wrgb,

I recommend that you do some research - lots of research before reaching a decision re InterStim.

What many people do not realize is that miinor surgery is required about every three years to replace the battery.