SCOTTSDALE, AZ USA (UroToday.com) - The 2015 SUFU meeting featured several presentations and posters on sacral neuromodulation (SNM), a minimally invasive technique for the management of neurogenic and non-neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction.
This retrospective review was of interest as it addressed device reprogramming attempts to achieve a better response in patients who reported diminishing effectiveness. The authors’ aims were to determine what diagnoses and patient factors are associated with reprogramming episodes. The review was on all patients (n=270; 18.5% male) undergoing permanent SNM device placement from 2008 through 2/2014. Fifty-seven percent of patients had a diagnosis of urgency urinary incontinence and 13% were diagnosed with urinary retention. Of those patients, 167 (62%) had at least one reprogramming session for a total of 321 reprogramming sessions. Those who requested reprogramming were more likely to be older or have a diagnosis of IC/PBS. Almost 45% of those patients who underwent reprogramming only had only 1 session; approximately 30% had 2 reprogramming sessions. The remaining patients had anywhere from 3 to 9 reprogramming sessions. Of those patients who were high utilizers of reprogramming (≥ 4 sessions), the majority of patients still have the SNM in use but some are in place and turned off; some were removed.
The authors’ conclusion was that certain patients need reprogramming after SNM.
Source of Funding: Department of Urology internal funding, S. Lenherr efforts funded by NIH/NIDDK T32 DK07782.
Presented by S. Lenherr, C. Stroup, H. Crossley, A. Cameron, J. Stoffel, A. Oldendorf, and Q. Clemens at the Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU) Winter Meeting - February 24 - 28, 2015 - JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa - Scottsdale, AZ USA
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
Reported by Diane K. Newman, DNP, FAAN, BCB-PMD, medical writer for UroToday.com.