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Rios LA, Averbeck MA, Franca W, Sacomani CA, Almeida FG, Gomes CM. Initial experience with sacral neuromodulation for the treatment of lower urinary tract dysfunction in Brazil. Int Braz J Urol. 2016 Mar-Apr;42(2):312-20. doi: 10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2014.0603.

Reports continue to emerge regarding the potential usefulness of sacral neuromodulation (SNM) in treating lower urinary tract conditions. In this initial experience, reported by a group in Brazil, there was a high rate of response and encouraging clinical results in a group of 18 patients treated at one of four outpatient surgical centers. The group included 15 patients with overactive bladder, 2 with urinary retention, and 1 with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS). Treatment involves implantation of a pulse generator after a test phase; the test phase was successful in 15 of the patients, or about 83% of the whole group. Although the patients were not followed up over the long term, short-term follow-up suggested most of the patients were having good clinical responses after the implant. Of note, the patient with IC/BPS had a 60% improvement in certain urinary symptoms, and reported a 90% improvement in chronic pain after the test phase.