A surgical team at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak has performed Southeast Michigan’s first InterStim® Therapy to treat bowel incontinence. This treatment, commonly called Bowel Control Therapy, is a minimally invasive procedure that sends electrical impulses to stimulate the sacral nerve, located near the lower part of the back and through the rectum, to improve bowel muscle function. This new technology earned Food and Drug Administration approval in March.

Jordy Sacksner, M.D., a colon and rectal surgeon affiliated with Beaumont, Royal Oak is one of  few surgeons in Michigan currently doing this procedure.

“While it may be an uncomfortable health condition to discuss, it is important that people talk to their doctor to find out available treatments,” says Dr. Sacksner.

InterStim® bowel therapy, developed by Medtronic, uses an implantable system consisting of a thin wire lead and a neurostimulator, or pacemaker-like device about the size of a quarter, to stimulate the sacral nerve to control bowel function. The neurostimulator is implanted on the upper part of the buttock above the pelvis. As with other minimally invasive procedures, the incisions are much smaller, resulting in less blood loss, less pain and a faster recovery.

According to the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, bowel incontinence can be caused by a variety of factors, including nerve or muscle damage in the anal canal and sphincter from childbirth or an injury to the tissue surrounding the anus.  Some individuals experience loss of strength in the anal muscles as they age.

Nearly 19 million Americans have chronic bowel incontinence.

Source: Beaumont Health System