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Variable frequency stimulation of sacral neuromodulation in black-zone overactive bladder patients: a case report
Lingfeng Meng1, Tongxiang Diao1, Miao Wang1
1Department of Urology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Translational Andrology and Urology
|January 18, 2021
Summary
Variable frequency stimulation-sacral neuromodulation (VFS-SNM) offers a promising alternative for overactive bladder (OAB) patients unresponsive to constant frequency stimulation-SNM. This novel approach significantly improved symptom scores and quality of life in a refractory OAB case.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Neurology
- Medical Devices
Background:
- Overactive bladder (OAB) significantly impacts quality of life (QoL).
- Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) is an option for refractory OAB when conservative treatments fail.
- Constant frequency stimulation-SNM (CFS-SNM) may be ineffective for some 'black-zone' OAB patients.
Observation:
- A 50-year-old male with refractory OAB experienced symptom recurrence after CFS-SNM.
- Variable frequency stimulation-SNM (VFS-SNM) was administered to the patient in March 2020.
- Improvements were assessed via OAB symptom score (OABSS) and OAB-related QoL (OAB-QoL) score.
Findings:
- VFS-SNM resulted in a significantly lower OABSS compared to CFS-SNM.
- VFS-SNM effectively reduced daytime and nocturnal micturition frequency.
- A 40% improvement in OAB-QoL score was observed, indicating enhanced patient well-being.
Implications:
- VFS-SNM demonstrates potential as an effective treatment for 'black-zone' OAB patients.
- This case report suggests VFS-SNM is a viable alternative to CFS-SNM for specific OAB populations.
- Further research is warranted to explore the broader efficacy of VFS-SNM in refractory OAB treatment.
