Sacral root nerves neuromodulation Percutaneous eletric stimulation of the sacral root nerves

Sacral root nerves neuromodulation is a treatment option for the overactive bladder syndrome (urge urinary incontinence) and / or chronic  urinary retention (non-obstructive), following oral medication failure.

It consists in the introduction of a device under the skin for electrostimulation of the sacral nerves, which control the bladder and surrounding muscles.

It is a minimally invasive technique performed under local anesthesia in two operative times. It should be noted that by the end of the procedure none of the device's components is visible.

In the first surgery, an electrode is placed near the nerve root of S3 (through the sacrum), which is connected to an external stimulator. The patient is discharged and the clinical response (symptom improvement) is tested for 2-4 weeks, on average .

If there is an improvement of more than 50% of the parameters analyzed, a second surgery takes place  to implant a pulse generator (similar to a cardiac pacemaker) inside the buttock.

If the test phase is not successful, the electrode is removed in the operating room also under local anesthesia, without major consequences associated with the neuromodulation attempt, and the patient is eligible for other therapeutic options.