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Neuromodulation
In the case of sacral neuromodulation, under local anaesthesia and the additional administration of a sleeping pill, one or two electrodes are implanted into the sacral nerves that innervate the bladder and the rectum.
A neurostimulator that is implanted under the skin on the buttocks, delivers weak currents to these nerves (like with a pacemaker). The symptoms are thereby treated. The patient mostly only feels the electrical impulses as a faint tingling in the pelvic area. Initially, after implantation of the electrodes, the patient is supplied with an external pulse generator in order to test whether the method was beneficial. The evaluation period is 2–3 weeks. If the symptoms have improved by at least 50%, the neurostimulator is implanted in a second procedure.
In about 50% of patients, both urinary incontinence and the nagging urges are improved or completely disappear.