You may be able to do things you were not able to do before receiving Medtronic Bowel Control Therapy (Sacral Neuromodulation) – 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 feel comfortable participating in the daily activities of living.
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.
When to call your doctor
Your doctor and his or her staff should be your first point of contact. After you’ve healed from the Neuromodulation System implant procedure, there may be instances where you may feel the need to talk with your doctor or nurse.
If at any time you find stimulation bothersome, use your patient programmer to turn the neurostimulation down or off. Tell your doctor if you experience any significant or recurring problems.
Product support
For assistance with the use of your device or programmer, please contact your physician.
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.
Depending on your programmed settings, you might not feel a sensation. It's important to base the effectiveness of the therapy on your symptoms, not whether or not you feel a sensation.
If you have questions about your Medtronic Bowel Control Therapy, if you are not receiving adequate symptom relief, or if your bowel incontinence 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 system. Full body MRI scans are supported when the system is combined with a MRI conditional electrode that allow full-body MRI scans, otherwise full body MRI is not supported and may results in severe injury to you or damage 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.
Programming your therapy
You can use your Medtronic iCon® patient programmer to adjust stimulation. The amount of stimulation is under your control. Stimulation varies from person to person, but most people describe it as a slight “pulling” or “tingling” sensation in the pelvic area. It should not be painful. If stimulation becomes painful, turn the stimulation down or turn the neurostimulator OFF and call your doctor.
- Your neurostimulator must remain on in order for therapy to be delivered.
- Turn your neurostimulator OFF when having certain medical or dental procedures, when going through theft detectors and security screening devices, or when using potentially dangerous equipment.
- Keep your programmer with you at all times. Be sure to bring it to all programming sessions.
Always carry your patient programmer
Because your patient programmer is the only way to turn your neurostimulator on or off or adjust the stimulation, you should always carry it with you. In particular, always bring your patient programmer with you to Therapy appointments. For your programmer to be fully functional, your clinician needs to “bond” it electronically to the neurostimulator with the clinician programmer.
In addition, always bring your patient programmer to appointments with other healthcare providers. During certain procedures, you may need to turn your neurostimulator off.
Your patient identification card
Carry your patient ID card with you in your wallet or purse. It shows that you have an implanted medical device in case of any emergency, and you will need it when going through security at airports.
If you move or lose your card, kindly contact your implanting center for a replacement.
Medical disclaimer
Information contained herein is not medical advice and should not be used as an alternative to speaking with your doctor. Discuss indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, adverse events and any further information with your health care professional.