Living With an InterStim System
Overactive Bladder
You may be able to do things you were not able to do before receiveing Medtronic Bladder Control Therapy (Sacral Neuromodulation delivered by the InterStim® System) — take long walks through the park, see movies at the theater, 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 Medtronic Bladder Control Therapy.
In addition, once you have an implant procedure date, you can log onto the Long-term Therapy area of www.everyday-freedom.com, where you'll find information that will be helpful before, during, and after the procedure.
There you will find downloadable guides and manuals, plus the following:
- What to expect during and after the implant procedure
- How to program your neurostimulator
- When to call your doctor
- Troubleshooting tips
- Answers to your questions
- Other helpful information
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 a Patient Service Representative at (800) 510-6735. Their hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM CST.
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. In addition, quick movements or a change in posture may move the implanted lead closer to your sacral nerve. This can feel like an unexpected change in stimulation sensation even though the stimulation level has not changed. 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 OAB 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 1-800-510-6735.
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 on the area of www.everyday-freedom.com that requires you to log in. To register, you'll need your evaluation procedure date or your implant procedure date.
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.