Living With Medtronic Bladder Control Therapy
Urinary Retention
People receiving Medtronic Bladder Control Therapy (Sacral Neuromodulation), delivered by the InterStim™ System, are able to do things they were not able to do before — take long walks through the park, see movies at the theatre, or travel. While it may take a while to adjust to the therapy, you should be able to resume normal activities soon.
Remember: Even after you’ve made a full recovery from surgery and resumed your normal routine, it’s important to stay in touch with your doctor about any questions or concerns you have.
Ongoing Support
You'll receive ongoing support before, during, and after your implant procedure. Your doctor and his or her staff should be your first point of contact when you have questions about InterStim™ Therapy.
In addition, as a medical device manufacturer, Medtronic can offer technical assistance when you have questions about or problems with your InterStim™ system; however, Medtronic is not able to comment on your medical condition. For assistance with the use of your device or programmer, please contact the Medtronic Technical Support Helpline on 01923 205101. Their hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Common Concerns
Some people report feeling worried because they don’t feel stimulation all the time. If this is a concern of yours, keep in mind that your doctor may have programmed your neurostimulator to turn on and off at regular intervals. If you are not receiving adequate symptom relief, contact your doctor.
If you have questions about your neuromodulation therapy, if you are not receiving adequate symptom relief, or if your urinary retention symptoms return, call your doctor.
Getting an MRI Head Scan
When following specific guidelines from Medtronic, MRI technologists can safely perform an MRI head scan on people with an implanted InterStim™ II system and specific InterStim™ I systems. Full-body MRI scans may result in severe injury to you or damage to your device.
If a doctor prescribes an MRI head scan for you, inform the doctor and MRI technicians that you have an implanted device prior to your MRI examination appointment. Full MRI safety information is available for your doctor or MRI technician at www.medtronic.com/mri or by calling the Medtronic Technical Support Helpline on 01923 205101.
Patient Therapy Guide
Your doctor should give you an InterStim Therapy patient guide when you consider the evaluation. A PDF of the manual is also available, you will be able to order this from the Medtronic Technical Support Helpline.
Information on this site should not be used as a substitute for talking with your doctor. Always talk with your doctor about diagnosis and treatment information.