InterStim™ Therapy

ARE YOU FRUSTRATED WITH YOUR BLADDER CONTROL SYMPTOMS?

HAVE YOU TRIED MEDICATIONS AND OTHER THERAPIES AND ARE NOT SATISFIED?

Urologic clinics of North Alabama offers patients state of art, minimally invasive InterStim™ Therapy for patients with intractable overactive bladder symptoms and those with non-obstructive incomplete bladder emptying problems. Amit Chakrabarty, MD, a board-certified Urologist, led the effort to bring the InterStim™ Therapy to North Alabama and has used it to successfully treat many such patients to date with excellent outcomes.

“I have always been frustrated with those patients of mine who have severe urgency and urgency incontinence but do not respond to or cannot tolerate the side effects of the dozen or so medications available for the treatment of overactive bladder. The fact that there are so many medications available for the purpose underscores the prevalence of this problem and the fact that none of these medications is ideal in form of efficacy or lack of side effects. Offering the InterStim™ procedure to my patients gives them an effective, minimally invasive, bloodless, cutting-edge compassionate medical treatment for offers these hard to treat patients. I can provide a dramatic improvement in patient care and quality of life for patients with this life-altering disease,” said Dr. Chakrabarty.

The procedure is a practically bloodless outpatient procedure and is done with minimal complications. The first stage is a test stimulation which can be done in the office or as an outpatient procedure with minimal sedation. If the patient responds to this test stimulation and notices a dramatic improvement we convert it to a permanent placement, again as an out-patient procedure. The patient returns to a normal activities in a few days. According to various studies the long term outcomes this is a promising therapy for this difficult to treat patients and often offers the only hope for them. InterStim therapy has been FDA approved since 1999 and is covered by all major insurances including Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama.

About Dr. Amit Chakrabarty, M.D.

Urologist Dr. Amit Chakrabarty has been treating patients in Alabama since 1995. He trained at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. One of his specialized areas of interest is urinary incontinence. He got additional training on InteStim Therapy at Gaston Memorial Hospital, Gastonia, North Carolina, and also on-site from Dr. Lonnie Klein, MD, of Palm Springs, Florida, and has been performing these procedures at Hartselle Hospital since January 2007. He also offers several other options for treating urinary incontinence.

Please visit https://www.medtronic.com/us-en/patients/treatments-therapies/bladder-control/therapies.html for more information.

Dr. Chakrabarty practices all aspects of urology with special emphasis i.e on female urology, andrology, urological cancer, and infertility. He is a surgical proctor and speaker for various in management of male and female urinary incontinence and pelvis floor repair and minimally invasive BPH treatments. He is a speaker for various pharmaceutical companies and has been involved in various research protocols.

Please visit www.ucna.com, for practice information or call 256.650.0603 for scheduling a consultation. You deserve to have all your options presented to you.

Introduction to InterStim Therapy

How do I know if it will work for me?

After the test procedure is completed the patient will feel small impulses that have been described as a fluttering or tapping near the genitalia. These impulses are correcting the messages that control urinary function. The electrode, which emits the stimulation, is connected to a small lead extension, which is plugged into a temporary stimulator that can be worn on the patient’s waistband either inside or outside of the clothing. The intensity of the therapy is controlled by the patient using a simple dial on the stimulator. The temporary stimulator is usually worn for 1-2 weeks to see if it will help decrease your symptoms.

What if it works?

For the majority of patients, the test proves to be helpful, and your new life will start. For these patients, a second procedure will be done to place a small pacemaker-like battery just underneath the skin in the upper buttock. For most patients the device is virtually invisible and discrete. The patient will have a small remote control they can use to regulate their therapy.

What if it doesn’t work?

For the few patients that don’t respond well to the test, the lead is usually removed in the physician’s office. Patients can quickly get back to their lives without any consequences. Patients’ symptoms do not get worse after the test, therefore there is minimal risk in having the test.

There is hope!!!

If you are currently taking medications to help control your bladder and you are dissatisfied with the results, you’re not alone. While medications work for a large percentage of patients, there are some patients for whom medications will not provide the desired quality of life.

If you have already failed medication therapy or if you are just now trying these medications, you need to know about an exciting new therapy that is improving the quality of life of thousands of patients like yourself.

This information is designed to inform you about an exciting and proven therapy for patients who have not responded well to conventional treatment for your conditions.

About InterStim

For many of you, medications and treatments are either causing unwanted side effects or just aren’t providing the symptom relief you desire. This may be because your bladder dysfunction is being caused by a miscommunication in the nerve messages that control urinary function.

Now there is a completely non-destructive and fully reversible test that can identify this problem and predict your potential success with Sacral Nerve Stimulation.

What is sacral nerve stimulation?

Medical researchers have known for over 30 years that the nerves that reside just above the tailbone called the Sacral Nerves, coordinate messages between the bladder, the muscles that manage urinary function, and the brain. For many people, safely stimulating these nerves can relieve many, if not all of the symptoms of urge incontinence (uncontrolled loss of urine with an abrupt, strong desire to void), urgency-frequency (an uncontrolled urge to urinate, resulting in very frequent, small volume voids) and urinary retention (the inability to empty the bladder).

Why does it work?

Scientists have discovered that the exquisite coordination of organs and muscles in the pelvis necessary for normal, pain-free function can become disrupted by any number of events. For example, bladder infections, child birth, other incontinence procedures, hysterectomies, bowel and bladder problems, prostate surgeries, lower back injuries and surgery, genetic predisposition or almost any other pelvic event can be an insult to the sacral nerves.

The insult may lead to faulty nerve impulses traversing the nerves causing pelvic floor dysfunction, urgency frequency and pelvic pain. For many patients the insult may have occurred many years ago and presents itself many years later. However, for some patients, no former event may have occurred.

The mild stimulation provided by the Sacral Nerve Stimulator serves to connect the communication signals to the Sacral Nerves and thereby improving Urinary Frequency, Urge Incontinence, Urinary Retention, and the frequency/urgency associated with Interstitial Cystitis.

While Interstim Therapy is not a cure, it may be an effective treatment for your symptoms. How well it relieves symptoms of bladder control problems varies from person to person. And when you turn the neurostimulator off for any length of time, your symptoms will return.

Is There More Than One Test?

Yes, there are actually two tests that can be performed to see if it works for you. One test, called the Peripheral Nerve Evaulation, can be done in our office and does not even require an incision.

Since 2001 however a more accurate test called the Interstim Staged Test has become more popular because of its higher success rate. Both procedures take about 30-45 minutes.

We provide a complete and comprehensive urologic service for men, women, and children above two. Our offices are well equipped with abdominal and transrectal ultrasonic units, complex urodynamic equipment testing for men and women, and minor in-office surgical procedures. This assures you of a comprehensive urological evaluation and treatment in our office.In addition to general urology our physician has a special interest and expertise in the following areas: