INTERSTIM FOR MEN

InterStim for men has been used to improve bladder and bowel function for more than 20 years in more than 250,000 patients. One medical study found that 85% of patients who’ve had the system in place for a year saw significant improvement in their condition. After 5 years, that rate was 82%, and 45% of patients with leaking had no leakage at all. Device-related adverse events occurred in 30% of subjects post-implant. The most common device-related adverse effects were undesirable change in stimulation, implant site pain, and implant site infection.

InterStim is a form of neuromodulation called sacral neuromodulation that uses gentle nerve stimulation to correct the bladder-brain communication pathway to help restore bladder function.

Unlike other bladder control treatments, InterStim lets you try it first with an evaluation. The evaluation is performed right in your doctor’s office and involves placing a lead (a thin wire) in the upper part of your buttock. The lead then attaches to a small external device worn discreetly under your clothes.

Most patients can tell within just a few days if it’s working for them, though some evaluations may take up to two weeks. After the evaluation period, you and your doctor will decide if the long-term therapy is right for you. If it is, your evaluation device will be replaced with an implantable device called a neurostimulator during a short outpatient procedure.

It’s important to remember this therapy is not for everyone. This treatment is prescribed by your doctor. Please talk to your doctor to decide whether this therapy is right for you.

Implanting an InterStim system has risks similar to any surgical procedure, including swelling, bruising, bleeding and infection. In addition to risks related to surgery, complications from this therapy can include pain, infection, sensation of electrical shock, device problems, undesirable change in voiding function and lead migration, among others. Talk with your doctor about ways to minimize these risks.