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What
is the difference between an implanted
device and an external device? |
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Implanted devices
are surgically placed into the human
body. They are medical devices that
have been found safe for internal
use. There are various implanted
devices. For some, the entire system
is inside the body whereas others
have an external component. Conversely,
an external device is a system in
which all elements are outside the
human body. They typically administer
stimulation over the skin. |
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What
are the advantages and disadvantages
of an implanted device? |
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There are several
advantages of an implanted device.
Since it is implanted in the body,
there are few, if any, external parts
to wear and daily maintenance is
minimized. In addition, the system
is more directly targeted to the
effected area. The disadvantage of
implanted devices is they do involve
a surgery which can lead to a system
that is more expensive. |
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What
are the advantages and disadvantages
of an external device? |
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External devices,
by the nature of being outside the
body, can not be as targeted as an
implanted device. There are also
external components to wear and the
daily maintenance of those components.
Since they are outside the body,
they can be less expensive than the
implanted device. Another advantage
of an external device is the ease
to discontinue the use of the system. |
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Will these neurotechnology
devices cure my urinary problems? |
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Neurotechnology urinary
solutions, whether they are implanted
or external, are therapies for a
specific condition. It has not been
proven that they can cure a condition,
but they can provide a treatment
for the symptoms so you can get back
to life. |
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Explain urge incontinence,
urge-frequency syndrome and urinary
retention. |
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Urge incontinence
and urge-frequency syndrome are also
known as an overactive bladder or
spastic bladder. Urge incontinence
is when a person cannot hold the
flow of urine. Whereas urge-frequency
syndrome is a condition in which
a person has an almost constant need
to release urine even when the bladder
is empty. Finally, urinary retention,
also known as a flaccid bladder,
is a condition in which a person’s
bladder muscles either do not contract
or are too weak to contract in order
to extract urine. These are the three
most common forms of urinary problems.
Please check with your physician
to understand which condition applies
to your situation. |
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What are Sacral Nerve,
Pelvice Floor and Tibial Nerve Stimulators? |
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The sacral nerve is
a nerve near the end of the spinal
cord. This nerve can control the
contractions of the bladder. A sacral
nerve stimulator is an implanted
device which uses a mild electrical
impulse to excite the nerve to make
the bladder do its job properly.
A Pelvic Floor stimulator is an external
device using electrical stimulation
to the pelvic floor muscle. Stimulation
is generally delivered by a vaginal
or anal probe connected to an external
pulse generator. This method uses
the pelvic muscles to improve the
opening and closing of the urethral.
Finally, tibial nerve stimulation
uses percutaneous needle electrode
inserted in the lower leg, and stimulation
is applied via the tibial nerve near
the ankle. The tibial nerve excites
the sacral nerve to control the function
of the bladder. |
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What is a Pelvic Floor
workout or exercise? |
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Exercising the pelvic
floor can help regain control of
the bladder for those that have properly
functioning muscles. For some, bladder
control is lost due to weak muscles
that hold the bladder. Daily exercise
of the two major muscles in the pelvic
area can improve bladder control.
Check with your doctor, nurse or
physical therapist to help make sure
you are doing the exercise the right
way. |
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If I use these devices
would I still need to catheterize
or take bladder control medications? |
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In most cases, you
will use the device in place of catheterizing
or using bladder control medications.
There are some cases in which a person
will need to use both, but for the
most part, the use of this device
will eliminate the need for catheters
and bladder control medications. |
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How do I go about
getting a device? |
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You may learn more
about specific devices by going
to the organizations that offer
neurotechnology devices for urinary
problems listed below: |
Implanted
or partially implanted devices
External devices
Another resource is the National
Association For Continence, www.nafc.org
or
1-800-BLADDER. You will want to discuss
these options with your physician
or urologist.
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How
much do these devices cost? |
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The cost of these
devices varies. A simple external
device may be only a few hundred
dollars whereas a more complex implanted
system can be as much as $20,000. |
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Are they covered by
insurance? |
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For physician identified
urinary problems, many of these devices
are accepted by third-party insurance
and Medicare. However, each policy
and coverage guidelines are different,
but they are typically classified
under Durable Medical Equipment.
When considering a device, it is
best to check with your physician
and insurance policy. |
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