When to Consider Medtronic InterStim Therapy

If you're seeking relief from bladder control problems, it's important to know you have choices. There is hope for relief. Select any topic below, or select “Start here” to be guided through information and resources to help you decide, with the help of your doctor, whether or not to move forward with the evaluation.

Understand the different OAB treatment options

For overactive bladder, the most common type of bladder control problem, there are several different treatment options.

Find out if you might be a candidate for InterStim Therapy

These guidelines help you determine if you should talk with your doctor or a specialist about InterStim Therapy as a treatment option.

Learn about finding a doctor who offers the full range of treatment options

It sometimes takes a while to find a doctor you feel comfortable with, who understands your condition and is willing to work with you to try a range of treatments until you find something that works for you.

Get tips on what to do if your doctor doesn’t take your symptoms seriously

If you’ve ever been told to "just live with it" or "it’s a normal part of aging," you know how frustrating it can be when you try to get help for your bladder control problems.

Answer one question to see how much your bladder control problems affect your quality of life

The American Urological Association has developed a quality-of-life questionnaire to help you and your doctor understand how bothersome your bladder control problems are.

Get your symptom score

This short quiz helps you rate your bladder control symptoms to see how much they are affecting your day-to-day life.

Track your symptoms

Use this downloadable sheet to keep track of how many times you go to the bathroom and how many times you leak, and bring this symptom tracker to your next doctor visit.

InterStim Therapy for Urinary Control treats urinary retention (inability to completely empty the bladder) and the symptoms of overactive bladder, including urinary urge incontinence (leakage) and significant symptoms of urgency-frequency. It should be used after you have tried other treatments such as medications and behavioral therapy and they have not worked, or you could not tolerate them.

Next: Treatment Options