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Upstate offers new treatment for bladder control woes

SYRACUSE, N.Y.— A new treatment option for people with bladder control problems is now available at Upstate University Hospital.

Medtronic’s InterStim Therapy is for people whose bladder control problems were previously deemed untreatable, including the use of interventions such as drug therapy, fluid and diet changes or pelvic floor exercises.

The therapy treats urinary retention and the symptoms of overactive bladder, including urinary urge incontinence and significant symptoms of urgency‐frequency. It is not intended for patients with a urinary blockage or other select disorders.

“A diagnosis of overactive bladder or urinary retention often represents a significant impairment in quality of life, and many patients experience symptoms for a long time before they are comfortable discussing them with a doctor,” said J. C. Trussell, M.D., associate professor of urology at Upstate.

InterStim Therapy is similar to a pacemaker for the bladder. The implantable device uses mild electrical pulses to target the communication problem that exists between the sacral nerves (near the tailbone that control the bladder) and the brain to tell the bladder to work correctly.

Before InterStim Therapy, patients who were unresponsive to drug therapy were limited mainly to irreversible bladder surgery or a lifetime of absorbent pads.

For more information about the therapy, call 315-464-6031.