Urge incontinence Many studies have been initiated using the<unk>  <unk>  technique to treat patients that suffer with urinary problems. When applying this procedure, proper patient screening is essential, because some disorders that affect the urinary tract (like bladder calculus or carcinoma in-situ) have to be treated differently. Once the patient is selected, he receives a temporary external pulse generator connected to wire leads at S3 foramina for 1–2 weeks. If the person's symptoms improve by more than 50%, he receives the permanent wire leads and stimulator that is implanted in the hip in the subcutaneous tissue. The first follow up happens 1–2 weeks later to check if the permanent devices are providing improvement in the user's symptoms and to program the pulse generator adequately. Bleeding, infection, pain and unwanted<unk>  in the extremities are some of the complications resulting from this therapy. Currently, battery replacements are necessary 5–10 years after implementation depending upon the strength of the<unk>  therapy. (The newest interstim's battery can be wirelessly recharged (roughly weekly) using a paddle placed against the skin outside the implant.) This procedure has shown long term success rate that ranges from 50% to 90%, and one study concluded that it was a good option for patients with lower urinary tract dysfunction refractive to conservative and pharmacological interventions. Fecal incontinence Fecal incontinence, the involuntary loss of stool and flatus release afflicting mainly elderly people, can also be treated with<unk>  as long as patients have intact sphincter muscles. The FDA approved the approach for treating the fecal incontinence in March 2011. The etiology is not well understood yet and both conservative treatments (like antidiarrheics, special diet and biofeedback) and surgical treatments for this disorder are not regarded as ideal options. Pascual et al. (2011) revised the follow up results of the first 50 people that submit to<unk>  <unk>  to treat fecal incontinence in Madri (Spain). The most common cause for the fecal incontinence was obstetric procedures, idiopathic origin and prior anal surgery, and all these people were refractory to the conservative treatment. The procedure consisted of placing a temporary pulse generator connected to a unilateral electrode at S3 or S4 foramen for 2–4 weeks. After it was confirmed that the<unk>  was decreasing the incontinence episodes, the patients received the definitive electrode and pulse generator that was implanted in the gluteus or in the abdomen. Two patients did not show improvement in the first step and did not receive the definitive stimulator. Mean follow up was 17.02 months and during this time the patients showed improvement in the voluntary contraction pressure and reduction of incontinence episodes. Complications were two cases of infection, two cases with pain and one broken electrode. Therefore, although the reason the<unk>  is effective is unknown, this procedure had satisfactory results in these clinical cases with a low incidence of complications, and the study concluded that it was a good option for treatment of anal incontinence. Limited evidence from a Cochrane review of randomised controlled trials suggests that<unk>  may help to reduce fecal incontinence.
Sacral nerve stimulation
Sacral anterior root stimulator
Sacral nerve stimulator
Spinal fMRI
Sciatic nerve block
Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation
Lumbar provocative discography
Femoral nerve block