Early experience with transurethral electrical bladder stimulation

Seventeen patients 2.5 to 20 years old with neurovesical dysfunction (10 myelomeningocele, 2 lipomeningocele, 2 spinal cord injury, 2 primary tethered spinal cord, 1 transverse myelitis) completed a total of 41 series (605 individual sessions) of transurethral electrical bladder stimulation. Ultimately, all patients demonstrated detrusor contraction during therapy, and 88% had sensation of contractions, usually developing later in therapy. Of 12 patients with carefully documented serial urodynamic studies 8 (67%) demonstrated a measurable (14 to 158%) increase in bladder capacity but 3 subsequently had capacities near baseline. Two patients demonstrated long-term improvement in fecal continence but none had voluntary control of micturition.