Bowel Control Therapy
Medtronic Bowel Control Therapy Delivered by the InterStim™ systems
Evidence suggests that breakdowns in the bowel-brain communication pathway may be a root cause of chronic fecal incontinence (FI).1 That’s why conventional treatments may not produce the results you want — they don’t directly target this miscommunication.
Unlike conventional treatments, the Medtronic InterStim™ systems gently stimulate the sacral nerves in your pelvic area that control your bowel. This may help restore* bowel-brain communication and reduce your symptoms.
The relief you’ve been waiting for
When more conservative treatments fail, Medtronic bowel control therapy delivered by the InterStim™ systems can help. This therapy is simple and discreet, and it delivers the kind of relief that lets you enjoy the activities you love without a second thought.
- Targets the nerves that control your bowel to help it function normally again
- Clinically proven to stop or greatly reduce bowel accidents3
- Significantly improved quality of life (lifestyle, ability to cope, embarrassment, and depression)3
- Lets you evaluate if it works before you and your doctor decide
- Allows you to get full-body MRI scans if you need them‡
- Hundreds of thousands of people have experienced relief* with this safe, FDA-approved and minimally invasive therapy†
The choice is yours
Medtronic bowel control therapy delivered by the InterStim™ systems offers recharge-free and rechargeable options, so you can choose the right one for your lifestyle.
- The recharge-free InterStim X™ system may be best for most people; it's convenient and low maintenance.
- The rechargeable InterStim™ Micro system is smaller, lasts longer, and requires regular recharging sessions.
Quarter shown for size comparison
Proven Results
Medtronic bowel control therapy delivered by the InterStim™ systems provides life changing relief.
89% of people using it experienced long-term success3
Delivers significant and lasting improvement for people with FI
The most common adverse events were implant site pain, paresthesia, change in sensation of stimulation, implant site infection, urinary incontinence, neurostimulator battery depletion, diarrhea, pain in extremity, undesirable change in stimulation, buttock pain, and migration of implant.
Is InterStim™ right for you?
You may be a good candidate for Medtronic Bowel Control Therapy delivered by the InterStim™ systems if:
- You have significant chronic fecal incontinence symptoms
- You’ve tried lifestyle changes and oral medications
- These therapies haven’t given you the relief you want
Benefits of Medtronic bowel control therapy
Medtronic Bowel Control Therapy delivered by the InterStim™ systems may reduce symptoms for many people who suffer from bowel incontinence. Benefits include improved quality of life and reduction in accidents. In addition, the therapy can be discontinued at any time by turning off or surgically removing the device.
See if it works for you
Unlike other bowel control treatments, this therapy lets you try it first with an evaluation — like a test run, not a long-term commitment.
- The simple test starts at your doctor’s office or an outpatient center
- A lead (thin wire) is inserted in the upper part of your buttock
- The lead attached to a small external device worn discreetly under your clothes
- Stop, start or adjust the therapy settings, with an easy-to-use programmer that resembles a smartphone
- Go about most of your regular activities for 3-14 days
- Track your symptoms to see if they improve
- Talk with your doctor about your results and find out if it’s likely to help you
Complications can occur with the evaluation, including movement of the wire, technical problems with the device, and some temporary pain. Your doctor or nurse will show you how to use the system and inform you of any activity restrictions and other precautions related to the test.
More control starts with our smart programmer
The smart programmer allows you and your healthcare provider to manage your therapy as needed. Unlike previous iterations of our technology that resembled a key fob without a display screen, our Smart Programmer allows you:
- Visibility to check your stimulation level on a clear, easy-to-read screen
- Adjust your stimulation with confidence that it has been changed to the setting you intended
- Turn stimulation on or off
- Change therapy programs (as directed by your healthcare provider)
- Activate MRI mode and check MRI eligibility (see more information below)
MRI Confidence
Medtronic’s proprietary SureScan™ MRI technology is what enables patients to get full-body‡ 1.5 and 3T MRI scans. It is the only sacral neuromodulation system with this SureScan technology. This means:
- Full-body‡ 1.5 and 3T scans
- No impedance checks required prior to MRI scans
- Scans allowed even if you have had out-of-range impedances
- MRI mode is easy to activate or deactivate on Medtronic’s smart programmer without clinician or Medtronic interaction
- Digital display for clear confirmation of MRI mode activation
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.
*Defined as a 50% or greater reduction in your troublesome bowel symptoms.
† Data from InterStim™ Sales Analysis. Medtronic, Inc. December 2019.
‡ Under certain conditions. See approved labeling for details. Patients with InterStim™ SureScan MRI leads only.
¶ Success defined as ≥ 50% reduction of episodes per week. This patient group had data at both baseline and the five-year visit. Another analysis reported 69% of people achieved success with Medtronic bowel control therapy. For this patient group, missing data at five years because of a device-related reason was counted as failure or if it was missing for non-device related reasons, the most recent data was carried forward.
1. Patton V, Wiklendt L, et al. The effect of sacral nerve stimulation on distal colonic motility in patients with fecal incontinence. Br J Surg. 2013 Jun;100(7):959–68.
2. National Center for Biotechnology Information. How do bowel movements work?: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279481/. Accessed June 27, 2017.
3. Hull T, Giese C, Wexner SD, et al. Long-term durability of sacral nerve stimulation therapy for chronic fecal incontinence. Dis Colon Rectum. 2013; 56(2):234–245.
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