Pelvic Electrical Neuromodulation for the Treatment of Overactive Bladder Symptoms

Overactive bladder syndrome negatively affects the daily life of many people. First-line conservative treatments, such as antimuscarinics, do not always lead to sufficient improvement of the complaints and/or are often associated with disabling adverse effects leading to treatment failure. Electrical stimulation of the sacral nerves has emerged as an alternative and attractive treatment for refractory cases of bladder overactivity. Few theories attempted to explain its mechanism of action which remains elusive. It involves percutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation and more commonly sacral neuromodulation. For the latter, temporary sacral nerve stimulation is the first step. If the test stimulation is successful, a permanent device is implanted. The procedure is safe and reversible. It carries a durable success rate. The technique should be combined with careful followup and attentive adjustments of the stimulation parameters in order to optimize the clinical outcomes. This paper provides a review on the indications, possible mechanisms of action, surgical aspects and possible complications, and safety issues of this technique. The efficacy of the technique is also addressed

Percutaneous Nerve Evaluation Test Versus Staged Test Trials for Sacral Neuromodulation: Sensitivity, Specificity, and Predictive Values of Each Technique

Purpose InterStim device is an U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved minimal invasive therapy for sacral neuromodulation for lower urinary tract dysfunction. Before InterStim implantation, a trial with the appropriate screening tests is required to determine patient therapy eligibility. There are two different techniques for patient screening: percutaneous nerve evaluation (PNE) test and staged test. Few studies have reported success and failure rates for each technique. However, test sensitivity and predictive values of either test have not been studied. The aim of our study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of each test and to establish a decision algorithm for the most appropriate testing method to be used as a screening test. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2009 to February 2012 and included patients with lower urinary tract dysfunction who participated in the stimulation test trial. Patients underwent PNE as the first stimulation test, while those who encountered technical difficulty during PNE or electrode migration underwent staged testing. Results A total of 213 patients, including 172 female and 41 male subjects, underwent PNE. The patients’ diagnoses included refractory overactive bladder (47.9%), nonobstructive urinary retention (29.6%), and frequency urgency syndrome (22.1%). A total of 202 patients were screened with PNE and 10 patients with staged testing. Overall sensitivity of PNE was 87.3%, and it was 90% for staged test. PNE specificity was 98.5% as compared to 92.9% for staged test. Positive and negative predictive values for PNE were 99% and 82.1% and for staged test were 90% and 92.9%, respectively. Conclusions PNE test has high specificity and positive predictive value. We recommend PNE, a simple office-based, less expensive procedure as the first option for screening

sj-pdf-1-imr-10.1177_03000605221117221 - Supplemental material for Sacral neuromodulation for neurological disease-induced lower urinary tract symptoms in Saudi Arabia: a single-centre experience

Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-imr-10.1177_03000605221117221 for Sacral neuromodulation for neurological disease-induced lower urinary tract symptoms in Saudi Arabia: a single-centre experience by Mai Ahmed Banakhar in Journal of International Medical Research</p

Updates in pelvic neuromodulation: the role of pelvic neuromodulation in pelvic disorders

Pelvic disorders affecting both male and female patients are major areas of concern for clinicians in cases where pharmacotherapy and behavioral therapy are not effective. In such cases, pelvic neuromodulation has become an alternative therapy that could relieve chronic pelvic pain and enhance the quality of life. The goal of this paper was to present a summary of the current therapeutic applications of various pelvic neuromodulation techniques and their efficacy in treating patients with a range of pelvic illnesses. Based on the available literature, this review assessed the validity and significance of the last 10 years’ advancements in the fields of sacral neuromodulation (SNM), posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS), and pudendal neuromodulation (PNM), including meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, and observational, prospective, and retrospective studies

Re: Effect of Sacral Neuromodulation on Female Sexual Function and Quality of Life: Are They Correlated?

Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) has become an established therapy for voiding dysfunction (VD). There have been published papers that documented improvement in bowel functions and bladder pain via SNM. However, improvement in female sexual function (FSF) after SNM treatment remains unclear. Recently, Banakhar et al. evaluated the effects of SNM on FSF and its impact on quality of life (QoL) and analyzed any correlation. They evaluated 33 female patients who were treated with SNM for VD. All patients completed the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and incontinence questionnaires (the Urinary Distress Inventory [UDI-6]) preoperatively and 4 months postoperatively. Ten patients were excluded from the study because they were not sexually active. The indications were: refractory overactive bladder in 19, frequency urgency syndrome in 2, and non-obstructive urinary retention in another 2 patients. SNM therapy significantly improved the total FSFI score (p=0.011). When the SF-36 and UDI-6 scores were compared, QoL showed significant improvement after SNM treatment. However, improvement in FSFI scores was not correlated with improvement in QoL. SNM therapy is an effective treatment modality in selected patient groups. In our country, SNM therapy has become a new option in the treatment of lower urinary tract problems. According to the results of this study, it is too early to conclude that SNM certainly improve FSF and QoL. The study just evaluated 23 cases. In order to have a more discrete conclusion, we need prospective trials with larger serie

Sacral neuromodulation and refractory overactive bladder: an emerging tool for an old problem

Overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome negatively affects the daily life of many people. Conservative treatments, such as antimuscarinics, do not always lead to sufficient improvement of the complaints and are often associated with considerable side effects resulting in treatment failure. In the case of failure or intolerable side effects, sacral neuromodulation (SNM) and botulinum toxin intravesical injections are minimally invasive and reversible alternatives. Currently, both SNM and botulinum toxin injection have FDA approval for use in OAB patients. This mini-review attempts to provide an update on SNM as a second-line management of adults with refractory OAB, based on the available clinical evidence concerning the efficacy and safety