In this article you can find the answers for What is the Sacral Nerve Stimulation? How is Sacral Nerve Stimulation surgery performed? Who’s Candidate to Sacral Nerve Stimulation Surgery? Which important factors are important to decide to do Sacral Nerve Stimulation Surgery? What are the risks for Sacral Nerve Stimulation Surgery?
What is Sacral Nerve Stimulation Surgery?
Sacral Nerve Stimulation (SNS) surgery (sometimes referred to as a "pelvic battery") is a technological surgical procedure involving the placement of an electrode over the S3 nerve which located in lower back (just above the tailbone) and connecting this electrode to a neurostimulator (pulse generator) via an extension cable.
This implantable pulse generator sends electrical impulses to the sacral nerves through implanted electrodes, these nerves are responsible to control the bladder, sphincter, and pelvic floor muscles that contribute to bladder and anal control. The electrical stimulation can eliminate or reduce certain bladder or bowel control problems.
How is Sacral Nerve Stimulation surgery performed?
Placing the Sacral Nerve Stimulation electrode and the battery is not a difficult procedure. The surgery is mostly done under local anesthesia, but it can be done under general anesthesia too.
Firstly, the electrode must be implanted into the S3 foramen by the guidance of C-arm. After the C-arm check and the test stimulation verification the electrode must be tunneled under the skin and connected to the external pulse generator. After the two or three-weeks trial period if the patient satisfied about the result the implantable pulse generator could be placed under the skin and connect to the electrode.
The best advantages such these operations are reversibility, adjustability and testability (all Neuromodulation approaches like Intrathecal Baclofen Pump, Spinal Cord Stimulation, Deep Brain Stimulation, Sacral Nerve Stimulation, and Vagal Stimulation and are reversible interventions, therefore they never result with permanent damage).
Who’s Candidate to Sacral Nerve Stimulation Surgery?
Sacral nerve stimulation is intended for patients who have failed or cannot tolerate more conservative treatments. Bladder or fecal control problems that may improve with SNS therapy include:
# Urinary Incontinence
# Fecal Incontinence
# Interstitial Cystitis
# Overactive Bladder
# Urinary Retention
# Urinary Urgency-Frequency
# Chronic Pelvic Pain
Which important factors are important to decide to do Sacral Nerve Stimulation Surgery?
The most important factors about the decision is if the patient failed or cannot tolerate more conservative treatments and if the patient satisfied about the result of trial period.
What are the risks for Sacral Nerve Stimulation Surgery?
You need to remember there isn’t any surgery without risk.
General complications of any surgeries are bleeding, infection, blood clots, and reactions to anesthesia. Since Sacral Nerve Stimulation surgery is usually performed under local anesthesia, the risk of Sacral Nerve Stimulation surgery is low. But the experience of the whole surgery team is so important like all surgeries.
Sacral Nerve Stimulation surgery may also cause to cerebrospinal fluid leak, persistent pain at the electrode or stimulator site, a pocket of clear fluid (seroma) at the implant site, lead migration, which can result in changes in stimulation. In that point the evaluation of the patient before the surgery by an experienced team is crucial. Our team has experience more than 300 Neuromodulation surgeries and include Neurosurgeon, Neurologist, Programmer Physician, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation physician and technicians and Neuropsychiatrist.
Please contact us now for further information!
info@neuromodulationinturkey.com