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Beyond traditional treatments: Why is spinal nerve stimulation the new favorite for improving urinary incontinence?
In recent years, spinal nerve stimulation (SNS), as an emerging treatment method, has gradually attracted attention from the medical community. The core of this treatment method is to install a programmable stimulator to stimulate the sacral nerves through low-amplitude current to improve problems such as urinary incontinence, high frequency of urination and urinary retention. Medtronic's InterStim Therapy has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a neurostimulator specifically designed to treat these conditions.
Spinal nerve stimulation re-establishes communication between nerves and the brain by simulating signals from the central nervous system, thereby treating gastrointestinal problems and urinary incontinence caused by nerve damage, showing powerful efficacy.
The most attractive aspects of this treatment are its effectiveness and low invasiveness. Before performing spinal nerve stimulation, doctors will conduct adequate patient screening to ensure that appropriate patients are selected for treatment. Patients initially receive a temporary external pulse generator for one to two weeks. If symptoms improve by more than 50% after this period, permanent electrode implantation surgery can be performed.
Medical purposes
Urgent incontinence
Research has shown that spinal nerve stimulation is effective in reducing episodes of urgency incontinence. Initial help ranges from 50% to 90% success rate, making it a good option for patients whose symptoms are difficult to improve. Because the causes of urinary incontinence are complex, screening and evaluation before treatment are crucial.
Preliminary research suggests that spinal nerve stimulation may be effective in patients who have not improved with conservative treatments or medications.
Fecal incontinence
In addition, spinal nerve stimulation has also been shown to be helpful in the treatment of fecal incontinence, especially in older adults. The method was approved by the FDA in 2011 and is suitable for patients with intact sphincter. Studies have shown that patients who use this treatment technique experience an increase in voluntary contraction pressure in their sphincter muscles and experience significantly fewer episodes of incontinence.
Although the specific mechanism of action of spinal nerve stimulation is unclear, existing research has shown its potential in improving clinical symptoms.
Implementation method
Spinal nerve stimulation technology is not limited to invasive surgery. Through the method of percutaneous nerve evaluation (PNE), doctors can first test it in the patient's body to evaluate the effect. During the procedure, an external pulse generator is connected to the stimulating electrode, and if the effect is significant, permanent electrode implantation is considered.
This focus on safety and effectiveness has allowed it to show satisfactory results in many cases and explore more application potentials.
Mechanism
Researchers believe that spinal nerve stimulation modulates contractions of the external sphincter and pelvic floor muscles, thereby inhibiting involuntary bladder contractions. Through this mechanism, it effectively improves the symptoms of urinary incontinence and significantly improves the patient's quality of life.
With the continuous advancement of science and technology, spinal nerve stimulation technology is gradually being adopted by more doctors and has become a safe and effective treatment option. However, what kind of help it can provide to other patients with urinary system and intestinal dysfunction in the future deserves our joint attention and in-depth discussion?
