Long-term results of a multicenter study on sacral nerve stimulation for treatment of urinary urge incontinence, urgency-frequency, and retention

Many patients have chronic, debilitating symptoms of voiding dysfunction th at are refractory to conventional medical or surgical therapies. This multi center, prospective study evaluated the long-term effectiveness of sacral n erve stimulation using the implantable Medtronic interStim therapy for urin ary control in patients with otherwise intractable complaints of urinary ur ge incontinence, urgency-frequency, or retention. Each patient first underw ent temporary, percutaneous sacral nerve test stimulation. If at least a 50 % reduction in target symptoms was documented for at least 3 days, patients received a permanent Medtronic InterStim sacral nerve stimulation system t hat includes a surgically implanted lead and neurostimulator. Regular follo w-up was conducted with outcome data. We report here on patients who have b een observed from 1.5 to 3 years postimplantation. The results demonstrate that after 3 years, 59% of 41 urinary urge incontinent patients showed grea ter than 50% reduction in leaking episodes per day with 46% of patients bei ng completely dry. After 2 years, 56% of the urgency-frequency patients sho wed greater than 50% reduction in voids per day. After 1.5 years, 70% of 42 retention patients showed greater than 50% reduction in catheter volume pe r catheterization. We conclude that the Medtronic InterStim therapy for uri nary control system is an effective therapy with sustained clinical benefit for patients with intractable symptoms of urinary urge incontinence, urgen cy-frequency, or retention. UROLOGY 56 (Suppl 6A): 87-91, 2000. (C) 2000, E lsevier Science Inc.