How many leads?

[Nancy R]

Hi all. So I saw my uro yesterday to discuss the Interstim. He said he thinks it might really work for me since I have a big pelvic floor component and no pain. I have not 100% decided on this yet but I am seriously considering it. I just got the video from him so I still have to check that out. Anyway, I have a question...for some reason I thought that most people have 4 wires in but now that I look back over old posts that doesn't seem to be the case and my uro said that he doesn't know if anyone uses that many anymore, that he was trained to use just 2. Can anyone shed light on this for me? Perhaps if I watch the video I'll get an answer to my question but I usually find these boards to be more informative than anything else

Thanks,
-Nancy R

[Ruth N]

There are only 2 wires- one on each side for the test stim. You may have heard the number 4 in relation to the permanent implant.With the implant there is one wire implanted but there are 4 electrodes on the wire. I hope this helps.

[Nancy R]

Ruth, Gotcha...well sort of. If they only test out on two nerves during the trial, how would they know where to put the the other 2 for the permanent implant. (sorry if these sound like dumb questions...i really must watch the video).

Thanks,
-Nancy

[DebbieB]

Hi Nancy:
Have you visit the web site @www.interstim.com
It has good information on this site for you to read ...
The video show it real good too!!!!

I know it is confusing ,as I had saw my x-rays on Monday and shows the one wire with the four electrodes on the bottom of it...

When the InterStim Implant is done they placed the lead wire into one of the sarcal nerves, it could be S2,S3, S4...

I hope this makes sence to you Nancy!!!

Good luck on what you decided to do !!!

~~~Hugs~~~ Debbie

[Ruth N]

They only are trying to stimulate one nerve with the implant. They place the wire near one of the nerves-S2,S3 or S4, whichever nerve got a good response during the trial. The 4 electrodes are close together on the one wire to stimulate the 1 nerve. The different electrodes just give alot more programming/stimulation options for that nerve.
Sorry you got so grossed out by the video. I would have loved to have seen it though.

[Sandy]

Ruth I also would love to see that video,

Maybe we should ask the uros we see to find out if we can see it. Would be intersting and informative if they put it one the med channel or discovery. You see some pretty wild operations on some of these channels and I don't think this could be any worse and make alot more people aware of this procedure
I don't know.... I sure wish I had heard about it long before I had it done and had not gone thru four uros, none of which mentioned this procedure to me. Only found out about it by fluking across this board one night.
Sandy

[Nancy R]

Thanks for all of your responses. It definitely clears things up. I was getting confused by the difference in wires used for the test stim and the actual surgery but now it makes sense. As for the video, I have calmed down. I just think for me I would've preferred a cartoon of the procedure (haha). I get grossed out by ER sometimes. It's weird b/c I'm not afraid of pain, don't mind getting needles, or my blood drawn. There is just something about bloody guts (sorry to be graphic) real or fake that sends shrills up my spine. Thanks again,

-NancyR