Implantable Device Is A Life Changer
For Women With Overactive Bladder
For many women, the uncontrollable urge to go to the bathroom controls their lives. These women with overactive bladder or urge urinary incontinence may carry around pads or an extra change of clothes. Some are afraid to plan social outings or even leave home for fear they might not make it to the bathroom in time.
If you are one of these women, don’t give up hope, even if various medications or behavior changes haven’t solved the problem, an implantable device called an InterStim® sacral neuromodulator can relieve even the most difficult cases of overactive bladder and urge urinary incontinence.
InterStim® has proven to be a life changer for many women, who can now take long trips or go out with friends without worrying about having an accident. Women also feel more rested because they don’t make a lot of trips to the bathroom each night.
Neuromodulation can also be used to treat urinary retention, a condition where the bladder does not empty. It is also very successful in treating fecal incontinence, the inability to control bowel movements.
A proven track record
InterStim® sends tiny electronic signals to the sacral nerve that controls a person’s bladder, bowels and the surrounding muscles. The device improves communication between the bladder and bowel system and the brain.
The device has been approved as a treatment for overactive bladder since 1997. In 2011, InterStim® was approved for use in patients who have a fecal incontinence.
Typically, neuromodulation is recommended for patients for whom medications and behavior modification, such as changes in diet and bladder training, haven’t worked.
A great feature of the device is that patients can take it for a test drive — a two-week tryout to see how the device works — without committing to an implant.
If the device works for you during the test period, the stimulator can be implanted under the skin in a procedure that takes about an hour. There’s no general anesthesia and no down time needed for recovery.
The device can be adjusted and turned on or off with a hand-held programmer. And once it’s implanted under the skin, it’s invisible—you can even wear your bathing suit worry-free!
Overall, 70 percent of patients say they are cured or their condition is significantly improved with InterStim®. That is especially impressive when you consider that the patients who get the device have not responded to other treatments.
Most patients can benefit from the treatment, no matter how young or old they are, how severe their symptoms are, or how many years they have been dealing with incontinence.
The device is covered by most health plans. At the Christiana Care Center for Urogynecology and Pelvic Surgery, we are highly experienced in implanting the InterStim® System.
Emily K. Saks, M.D., Howard Goldstein, D.O., and Babak Vakili, M.D., are the only urogynecologists in Delaware who have completed fellowships in the specialty and are board-certified in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery.
We understand your problem. And we are here to help.
For an appointment call the Christiana Care Center for Urogynecology and Pelvic Surgery 302-623-4055. Always consult with your doctor before making important medical decisions.
For an appointment call the Christiana Center for Urogynecology and Pelvic Surgery 302-623-4055. Howard Goldstein, D.O., Babak Vakili, M.D., and Emily Saks, M.D. are the only urogynecologists in Delaware who are board-certified in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery.
The Christiana Care Center for Urogynecology and Pelvic Surgery
4735 Ogletown-Stanton Road
Medical Arts Pavilion 2, Suite 1208
Newark, DE 19713
Christiana Care Center of Women’s Health
3706 Kennett Pike, Greenville, DE 19807
Smyrna Health & Wellness Center
100 South Main Street, Suite 215, Smyrna, DE 19977
call 302-623-4055 or visit www.christianacare.org/urogynecology
Babak Vakili, M.D., is the director of the Center for Urogynecology and Pelvic Surgery. Dr. Vakili is a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He completed a fellowship in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery at the Louisiana State University Health Science Center in New Orleans, LA.
Emily K. Saks, M.D., MSCE, is a urogynecologist with the Christiana Care Center for Urogynecology and Pelvic Surgery. Dr. Saks completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia and has completed a fellowship in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Howard B. Goldstein, D.O., MPH, is a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He completed a fellowship in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, NJ. He currently serves as the Director of Research and Education for the Division of Urogynecology.
