Dov Schuchman, MD, Urogynecologist, talks about a new method of relieving pain long-term for patients.
Can you explain the new stimulator and how it took away Heather’s pain?
SCHUCHMAN: The stimulator, better known as Interstim, has been around about 20 years. It’s influencing the nerve that supplies the bladder, commonly known in medicine as S3 nerve. That is the large nerve that supplies the bladder, uterus, cervix, and vagina, all the way to the toes. It’s a really significant nerve. The stimulator modulate, same as cardiac pacemaker, influences the conductivity of the heart. Heather had a long history of bladder issues. She was evaluated and found years ago that one of the best modalities would be Interstim therapy, which is a bladder nerve modulation, and had one implanted. Recently because of recurrent symptoms, she was re-evaluated. It was found the device battery was depleted, so I offered her a new device that just came to market last year right after COVID, which is a rechargeable battery, and means it doesn’t have to be changed every few years. It is also MRI-safe. The older device had steel in it that was not MRI safe, and therefore patients with the Interstim could not have MRI studies, with one exception, which was a brain MRI. I offered Heather the rechargeable device which algorithm has shown is good for 15 to 20 years. You do have to charge it once a month. She agreed with that and we placed the new device in a simple outpatient surgery.
What does that mean in terms of pain management knowing you can get what you have replaced and not having to think towards surgery every three or four years?
SCHUCHMAN: Surprisingly, after three to four years, when patients come back, and after an evaluation and you devise a plan, the acceptance is very good. They don’t seem to complain and ask how come I need a new device so often? But when we offered a device that was rechargeable and they could keep it in a longer time in between procedures, the acceptance was remarkable. Another advantage was the fact that the patients knew they could now have an MRI. Usually, the average age for this device is between 45 and 65. We have patients as young as 20 years old and some as old as 90 years old that have the device.
Can you explain how it works in terms of the charger and the phone with the app?
SCHUCHMAN: The patient gets a charging device which they place once every three to four weeks on their back. All the devices use Bluetooth and do not need any kind of Wi-Fi. The device sits in the hip area and charges for 20 to 25 minutes. It chimes to let the patient know when the device is fully charged. At the same time, the patient can control the charging and the device with a cell phone that is provided. The cell phone talks to the device that is implanted through a communicator. The battery will be charged for a long period of time as long as they don’t forget to shut it off. The new device is significantly smaller. It’s roughly less than one third the size of the old device. Both the old and new version is connected with a lead. One side of the lead is connected to the device and the second side is placed from the hip going into the S3 foramen. The S3 is the third hole that you have in your pelvis, and the nerve on the other side is right underneath the foramen, which the lead is going to be sitting parallel to.
And you recharge it once a month? Does the device let you know when it needs to be charged and when it’s charged?
SCHUCHMAN: Correct. It sits in your hip and is connected to the nerve through the lead. There are potentially 3,000 programs. We usually have 11 programs preset in the device. If a patient doesn’t have a good response, they can up the power, lower the power, or change the program very easily with the controller.
So, this is a game-changer for people?
SCHUCHMAN: It is a game-changer. In the past, medications were effective, but many times they have side effects like dry mouth, dry eyes, and constipation. When medications weren’t helping or there were too many side effects, there were other modalities. And, one of the best modalities we have was the Interstim modulation or stimulation.
Interview conducted by Ivanhoe Broadcast News.
END OF INTERVIEW
This information is intended for additional research purposes only. It is not to be used as a prescription or advice from Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc. or any medical professional interviewed. Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc. assumes no responsibility for the depth or accuracy of physician statements. Procedures or medicines apply to different people and medical factors; always consult your physician on medical matters.
If you would like more information, please contact:
DOV SCHUCHMAN
(248) 361-4211
Sign up for a free weekly e-mail on Medical Breakthroughs called First to Know by clicking here
