In this article you can find the answers for What is the Sacral Nerve Stimulation Surgery? How is Sacral Nerve Stimulation surgery performed? Who’s Candidate for Sacral Nerve Stimulation? Which factors are important for deciding Sacral Nerve Stimulation Surgery? What are the risks of the Sacral Nerve Stimulation Surgery?
Sacral Nerve Stimulation surgery (sometimes referred to as a "pelvic battery") is a technological surgical procedure involving the placement of an electrode over the S3 nerve which located in lower back and connecting this electrode to a medical battery - neurostimulator (pulse generator) via an extension cable from under the skin.
This medical battery (implantable pulse generator) sends electrical impulses to sacral nerves through implanted electrodes, these nerves are responsible to control the bladder, sphincter, and pelvic floor muscles that contribute to bladder and anal control. The adjustable electrical stimulation can eliminate or reduce certain bladder or bowel control problems.
We cannot say that the placing of Sacral Nerve Stimulation electrode and the battery is a difficult procedure. The surgery is mostly done under local anesthesia, but it can be done under general anesthesia too.
Firstly, the electrode must be implanted into the S3 foramen by the guidance of C-arm. After the C-arm checking and the test stimulation verification the electrode must be tunneled under the skin and connected to the external pulse generator. After the trial period (two or three-weeks) if the patient satisfied about the effect of the Sacral Nerve Stimulation, the medical battery (implantable pulse generator) could be placed under the skin and connect to the electrode.
Sacral nerve stimulation is intended for patients who have failed or cannot tolerate more conservative treatments. Bladder or fecal control problems that may improve with SNS therapy include:
The most important factors about the decision is if the patient failed or cannot tolerate more conservative treatments and if the patient satisfied about the result of trial period.
You need to remember there isn’t any surgery without risk.
General complications of any surgeries are bleeding, infection, blood clots, and reactions to anesthesia. Since Sacral Nerve Stimulation surgery is usually performed under local anesthesia, the risk of Sacral Nerve Stimulation surgery is low. But the experience of the whole surgery team is so important like all surgeries.
Sacral Nerve Stimulation surgery may also cause to cerebrospinal fluid leak, persistent pain at the electrode or stimulator site, a pocket of clear fluid (seroma) at the implant site, lead migration, which can result in changes in stimulation. In that point the evaluation of the patient before the surgery by an experienced team is crucial.
The best advantages such these operations are reversibility, adjustability and testability, all Neuromodulation approaches like Intrathecal Baclofen Pump, Spinal Cord Stimulation, Deep Brain Stimulation, Sacral Nerve Stimulation, and Vagal Stimulation and are reversible interventions, therefore they never result with permanent damage.
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