InterStim® Therapy for Bowel Control
Chronic involuntary loss of bowel control is a humiliating, life-changing condition. More than 18 million Americans suffer from this condition, and treatments are often temporary or insufficient.
In 2011, the FDA approved a new technology for the treatment of fecal incontinence, and Rose Medical Center is the first hospital in Colorado to offer this procedure.
How InterStim® Therapy Works
InterStim® Therapy uses mild electrical stimulation of the sacral nerves to influence the behavior of the anal sphincters, pelvic floor muscles and bowel. Following a test stimulation that identifies patients whose fecal incontinence may be improved by sacral nerve stimulation, the InterStim device is typially implanted in the upper buttock. A wireless programmer is then used to activate and set up the neurostimulator operation.
Initial studies show that more than 80% of patients achieve more than a 50% reduction in incontinent episodes per week.
