PNE success after new lead introduction: ten years of data from a single institution experience

Peripheral nerve evaluation (PNE) allows for a trial period for sacral neuromodulation to determine if the treatment is beneficial for a given patient. A new PNE wire was introduced in 2020; however, there is limited data assessing success rates after this change. We aimed to evaluate 10 years of data to assess PNE trial success rates at a single institution before and after the lead change.

A retrospective review of PNE patients at a large academic center from 2015 to 2025 was performed. We assessed rates of PNE trial success, which was defined as ≥ 50% improvement in symptoms by patient diary. We carried out 3:1 propensity score matching between patients who received the old lead and the new lead to adjust for baseline differences between the two groups. Outcomes were compared using the Rao-Scott adjusted chi-square tests and weighted logistic regression models with robust standard errors.

After propensity score matching there were 388 patients, and demographics were similar between groups. Overall, 82.6% (320/388) of patients had a successful PNE trial. From 2015 to 2019, the success rate was 77.6% (68/88). From 2020 to 2025, the success rate was 84.0% (252/300, p = 0.228), which was not statistically significantly different.

PNE is an effective option for sacral neuromodulation trial. We did not find a statistically significant increase in PNE trial success after the introduction of the new lead. While success rates remained high over time, there was a slightly higher percentage of success in the latter group.