Northwest Healthcare Urogynecologists Change Lives With Sacral Neurostimulator Implants
9/3/2024
TUCSON, AZ – Some health conditions are harder to talk about than others. One of the most challenging to discuss, even with a physician, is bladder or bowel incontinence – especially for new mothers.
Patients often feel embarrassed and alone when they start experiencing incontinence symptoms, but they aren’t: Urinary incontinence affects about one-third of women in the interval between the second trimester of pregnancy and three months after their baby’s birth. Postpartum bowel incontinence is rarer, but still affects anywhere between 5% and 25% of new mothers.
At just 38 years old, Katie – the otherwise-healthy mom of a six-month-old baby boy – began having incontinence symptoms in 2019. “You feel like, ‘Why does my life have to be like this?’” Katie says.
“Often, incontinence in women can stem from hormonal and physical changes that take place during pregnancy – and the pushing involved in labor, which can involve intense pressure or even nerve damage in both the bladder and bowels,” said Dr. Anthony Gaddi, a specialist in urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery with Northwest Healthcare. “Most often, any damage from childbirth heals within a few months, but some women experience severe symptoms that have a huge impact on their everyday quality of life.”
Daily life for Katie had revolved around planning her day with the proximity of bathrooms in mind, and she was skipping social events due to the unpredictable nature of incontinence. After trying for a year to resolve the issue on her own, she made an appointment with Dr. Gaddi.
“Medication solved my urinary issue, but bowel incontinence is harder to treat,” Katie says. “Dr. Gaddi mentioned a sacral neurostimulator implant that works like a pacemaker, and I decided to try it. The doctor himself was so fantastic and relatable that I was open to the idea – before I went to see him, I didn’t even know this technology existed. I was able to do a trial period before committing to the full implant, which made the experience easier for me.”
The trial went well, and the implant – tiny and easily-programmable to her individual needs – worked immediately for Katie. Maintaining the device is simple – Katie only needs to charge it every 2-3 weeks, and the rest of the time she can forget it’s even there.
“It totally changed my life,” she says. “I don’t have to worry when I go out and about with my son, or for a long car ride, and I don’t need to plan my day or my life around the bathroom anymore. It’s a private subject, so it’s hard for people to talk about – but a lot of people are living with this condition who don’t have to.”
Dr. Gaddi, who (along with his team) recently won a Center of Excellence Award for using sacral neurostimulator technology to benefit patients, says that many of his patients have had their lives changed by it. “If less-invasive techniques don’t work – and incontinence persists for six months after childbirth, a woman should contact a medical professional,” he says. “While incontinence is often related to common events in a woman’s life – like childbirth or the aging process – it is by no means normal, and effective treatment is available.”
To learn more about treatment options for incontinence – and about how urogynecologists at Northwest Healthcare help patients reclaim their lives – visit https://www.nwalliedphysicians.com/urogynecology-care.
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