Does Sacral Nerve Stimulation for Constipation Work?

Living with chronic constipation can be uncomfortable and inconvenient to go about your daily life. When a shift of diet, fiber supplement and medications does not offer you the relief you feel entitled to a cure:” Isn’t there perhaps more advanced treatments that finally can help me get some relief?” Does sacral nerve stimulation for constipation work? The shorter, subtler response: Sacral Nerve Stimulation can be life-changing for some people. Here’s how that works, who it might benefit and why an expert is the most brilliant next move if you’ve been struggling with chronic constipation.

What Is Sacral Nerve Stimulation?

SNS is a non-drug treatment that applies gentle electrical stimulation to the sacral nerves via an implanted device placed just under the skin. They’re located in your lower back and help control your bowel movements. Turning them on, “SNS can ‘reset’ the communication between the brain, nerves and muscles that lead to bowel movements,” Dr. Bradley said. Think of it as a pacemaker for the digestive system. It may sound like high-tech mumbo jumbo, but this treatment has been provided for years for patients who have difficulty controlling their bowels or bladder. If you have had constipation and seem stuck for solutions, it would be worth speaking to a specialist to see if SNS might be good for you.

How Does Constipation Develop?

There can be a number of causes behind chronic constipation. In some patients, it is tied to slow transit of stool through the colon. For some people, this appears to be due to pelvic floor dysfunction, in which the muscles they’re using to have a bowel movement don’t coordinate correctly. Some drugs and medical conditions may also be implicated. The frustrating part is that constipation can plague many people even when they’re doing everything “right,” making healthy choices and eating well, staying hydrated and exercising. Which is why it’s important to entrust someone who really knows what they are doing. “You can do one of two tests to see if sacral nerve stimulation would help, but normally I’d have a surgeon place an electrode temporarily and go forward with surgery.”

Why Sacral Nerve Stimulation Can Help with Constipation

SNS does this by making it easier for your nerves and muscles to work together during a bowel movement. If the sacral nerves are unable to transmit signals correctly, stool may not move sufficiently — or muscles in the pelvic floor may not relax when they should. This sets up the vicious cycle of incomplete evacuation and fresh constipation. Through SNS a gentle electrical stimulation retrains these signals to help the bowels move regularly and completely. Many patients have a dramatic improvement in their quality of life afterwards. If you’re done with the constipation that’s been wrecking your life, SNS may be a game changer.

What is the Ideal Candidate for Sacral Nerve Stimulation?

Not all constipated patients can be approached via SNS. It is usually recommended for patients who have not benefited from standard treatment, such as dietary modifications, laxatives and biofeedback therapy. It is also recommended for those patients with constipation related to pelvic floor dysfunction or a nerve-signaling abnormality. The first stage is a trial, during which temporary placement of the device is used to see if stimulation will help re-establish bowel movements. If the trial is successful, a permanently implanted device will be placed. If you think you might qualify for screening, schedule a consultation with a specialist in colorectal diseases who can help guide you through it.

The operation gives the patient:

The production of the SNS starts with a mock run. Temporary wire To accomplish this a wire is placed next to the S3 nerves and it is attached with an external stimulator. Patients use the device at home, monitoring their bowel movements for one to two weeks. If the answer is clear, a permanent sacral nerve stimulator is implanted under the skin during relatively simple outpatient surgery. 

Your doctor will be able to adjust the device externally to determine the best setting for your body. Many patients say it just feels like a gentle tapping or pulsing – it is not at all painful. If you have concerns about what happens during the process, a specialist can help with every portion of the experience so nothing is a surprise.

Efficacy of Sacral Nerve Stimulation for Constipation.

SNS has been demonstrated to be effective in a number of patients with severe resistant constipation and many patients report symptomatic improvement. For some patients, there are more bowel movements after surgery, with less straining and more overall comfort. Some patients get better very quickly, some take weeks. SNS is not for everyone, though it’s life-changing for some. If you’ve tried it all and this has worked, then having an appointment with a specialist to find out if you’d be a candidate for SNS is probably worth the sacral nerve stimulation recovery time.

Are There Any Risks or Complications?

SNS is a medical treatment, after all, and it does have risks. This may be caused by infection, pain in the site of implantation or subsequent altered function. In other situations, such device may require alteration or replacement. But the majority of patients do well with SNS, so the trial gives you the opportunity to see if it works for you before committing to permanent implantation. Your doctor will discuss with you risks and benefits of the procedure to enable you to decide. If constipation is wrecking your life then upside from SNS surgery might be worth downside.

When to See a Constipation Specialist?

Constipation every now and again is normal, just like many of the symptoms associated with constipation. However, symptoms that never go away may signal something beneath. Specialists can work with you to determine if your constipation is due to stress, muscle entrapment, or an issue with how the nerves are telling the G.I. tract to function. And, more to the point, they can also administer advanced treatments that most primary care doctors do not offer, such as a sacral nerve stimulator. Don’t suffer if constipation has disrupted your life — you might be a single appointment away from getting some answers and maybe even some solutions.

Conclusion

Sacral nerve stimulation may be a treatment option for chronic constipation when everything else has failed. SNS functions by essentially ‘waking up’ the nerves that control bowel function and allows for communication between the brain and stomach, resulting in more natural bowel motions.It doesn’t work for everybody, and not everyone can take it without side effects. The truth is, there is no way to determine what is best for you without seeing a colorectal specialist who can assess your symptoms, and review options. You don’t have to accept having your life ruled by constipation – Bring a specialist in today to find out just how much better you can feel when you’re working with the experts for permanent relief from painful and disruptive gas and bloating.