Fecal incontinence treatment
InterStim for bowel control: fecal incontinence treatment in Johns Creek and Cumming
If chronic bowel leakage keeps coming back after a fair run of fiber and diet changes, a bowel schedule, pelvic floor exercises, and medicine, InterStim sacral nerve stimulation is a bowel control treatment our urologists offer. You try it first during a short test phase, and the decision about a permanent implant comes after you have seen the results in your own daily life.
How InterStim works for bowel leakage
InterStim, made by Medtronic, works through the sacral nerves. A thin lead rests beside those nerves low in the back, where they help run the rectum, the anal sphincter, and the bladder. Mild electrical pulses help those signals work in a more useful rhythm, which can lessen leakage episodes and the sudden urgency that comes before them.
It is meant for chronic fecal incontinence that has not improved enough with conservative care. It does not change the bowel itself, and the therapy is reversible: the system can be turned off or removed.
Steps we try before InterStim
Most people start with conservative care, and for some those steps are enough. We adjust diet and fiber so stool is firmer and easier to control, set up bowel retraining on a regular schedule, teach pelvic floor muscle exercises, and, when loose stool is part of the problem, use medicine to slow it. We give each step a fair trial and track it with a bowel diary.
If leakage is still disrupting work, exercise, or time with family after those steps, we talk about whether sacral nerve stimulation is a fit. Our bowel leakage page covers the full evaluation that comes first.
Trying it first: the test phase
InterStim starts with a trial. A temporary wire goes in beside the same nerves and links to a small device you wear outside the body. For roughly 3 to 14 days you live your usual week and log each leak and each rushed trip to the toilet.
At the follow-up visit we compare that diary with the one you kept before. We consider the permanent implant when your leaks or urgency drop by about half or more compared with before. If the change is smaller than that, we remove the trial wire, nothing stays in place, and we map out what to try next.
The permanent implant: InterStim Micro or InterStim X
When the test phase works, the permanent system is placed at our Johns Creek Clinic & Surgery Center. There are two device choices. InterStim Micro is a small rechargeable device. InterStim X does not need recharging. We go through both at the visit, including how charging fits your routine and how follow-up adjustments work.
Advanced Urology’s bowel control neuromodulation page has more detail on the procedure, and our team explains the risks that apply to you before any date is set.
Who is a candidate for InterStim for bowel control
Good candidates are adults with chronic fecal incontinence that is still bothersome after conservative care, who can keep a diary during the test phase, and who want a treatment they can try before committing. Many also deal with bladder urgency or urge leaks, and the same therapy is used for overactive bladder.
At the evaluation we also go over your other health conditions, past surgery on the lower back or pelvis, and your medicines, because they shape how the test phase is planned. If InterStim is not the right fit, we say so plainly and talk through the other bowel control treatments.
InterStim near Johns Creek, Cumming, Alpharetta, and Suwanee
Every one of our offices evaluates and treats fecal incontinence. You can have the first visit and the test-phase planning at our Cumming Clinic or our Johns Creek Clinic & Surgery Center, and the procedures take place at the Johns Creek surgery center on Medlock Bridge Road. Patients come from Alpharetta, Milton, Duluth, Suwanee, Forsyth County, and Dawson County. To begin, call 678-344-8900 or book a visit online.
Watch: an official video on regaining bowel control
An official Advanced Urology video on this topic.
Playing: #008 - Leaky Bowel? Regain Control from Fecal Incontinence
Bowel-leakage visits at both offices are with our urologists: Dr. Neal Patel, Dr. Nicholas Farber, Dr. T. Casey McCullough, Dr. Herman Bagga, Dr. Rut Patel, and Dr. Kushan Radadia, with physician assistants on the same team. Every one of our offices evaluates and treats fecal incontinence, so you can start your care in Johns Creek or in Cumming.
Questions we are often asked
How long is the InterStim test phase for bowel leakage?
Plan on roughly 3 to 14 days with a trial wire in place beside the sacral nerves. During that stretch you keep up your regular work and home life and log every leak and urgent trip. We then compare it with your earlier diary to decide whether a permanent implant makes sense.
How do you decide whether to place the permanent InterStim?
We move to the permanent device when the trial diary shows leaks or urgency down by about 50% or more. If the improvement is smaller, the temporary wire is removed and we discuss other options. You see the results in your own diary before anything permanent is placed.
Can InterStim be turned off or removed?
InterStim therapy is reversible, so the device can be switched off or taken out. That is part of why many patients are comfortable trying the test phase first. If it is ever removed, we go back over the other bowel control treatments with you.
InterStim Micro or InterStim X: how do I choose?
InterStim Micro is a small rechargeable device, while InterStim X does not need recharging. We walk you through both at the visit, including how charging would fit into your week and how settings are adjusted afterward.
Where is the InterStim procedure done for patients near Johns Creek and Cumming?
The evaluation and test-phase planning can start at either our Johns Creek or Cumming office. The procedures are scheduled at our Johns Creek Clinic & Surgery Center at 10730 Medlock Bridge Road. We give you arrival and recovery instructions before each step.
Do I have to try other bowel control treatments first?
Usually, yes. First come fiber and food adjustments, a regular bowel schedule, pelvic floor exercises, and medicine if loose stool is a factor. InterStim is the next step when chronic leakage continues after a fair trial of those.
Whenever a visit would help, the Johns Creek and Cumming teams are a phone call or a booked appointment away.