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Future indications for sacral nerve stimulation
Author(s) -
Dudding T. C.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
colorectal disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.029
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1463-1318
pISSN - 1462-8910
DOI - 10.1111/j.1463-1318.2010.02522.x
Subject(s) - medicine , sacral nerve stimulation , constipation , sexual dysfunction , neuromodulation , fecal incontinence , irritable bowel syndrome , pelvic floor , physical therapy , medline , quality of life (healthcare) , critical appraisal , physical medicine and rehabilitation , stimulation , surgery , alternative medicine , pathology , nursing , political science , law
Aim The aim of this article was to determine the effect of sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) on the treatment of faecal incontinence, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, mixed urinary and bowel disorders, spinal injury and neurodegenerative disease, pain syndromes, and sexual dysfunction. Method A Medline search was performed including the keywords and/or MeSH headings of ‘sacral nerve stimulation’, ‘neuromodulation’, ‘artificial pacemaker’, ‘faecal incontinence’, ‘constipation’ and ‘anal pain’. Further studies were identified by cross‐referencing from relevant articles and by appraisal of recent peer‐reviewed conference abstracts and proceedings. Results SNS has been used for the treatment of urinary, bowel and sexual dysfunction, as well as pain resulting from such disorders, and dysfunction arising from nerve injury and degenerative disease. There is a paucity of high quality evidence to support the use of SNS for the majority of novel indications at present. Conclusion Good quality prospective, cross‐over studies are required to determine the true benefits of SNS. Further research into patient selection, operative technique and stimulation parameters for existing indications will ensure a place for SNS in the future treatment algorithm of functional pelvic floor disorders.