Bladder pacemaker improves quality of life
by Deborah Humphrey
It was a windy November day in the skies above Fort Bragg, N.C., so much so that 29-year-old Centra Mazyck found her petite frame drifting toward another jumper as she parachuted from the C131 aircraft. She and the other jumper untangled themselves just feet above the rapidly approaching ground. The near fatal accident left Ms. Mazyck, a sergeant first class in the U.S. Army, permanently paralyzed from the waist down.
“At times, you have a rough landing. I honestly thought that was the case. Before waking up surrounded by my family, the last recollection I had was of drop-zone medics cutting away my boot and pant leg,” Sgt. Mazyck recalled. “When I woke up, the medical professionals explained that I would never walk again.”
During her extended hospital recovery, partially spent at Augusta’s downtown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Sgt. Mazyck’s bladder was fine. But, upon returning home to South Carolina, her bladder began to collapse, causing frequency and leakage problems. “My doctors unsuccessfully tried three different types of bladder medications and a bladder patch. Then, we found the solution that has greatly improved my quality of life.”
Sgt. Mazyck received InterStim therapy at MCG Health System under the direction of Dr. Ronald Lewis, chief of urology.
Using minimally invasive techniques, physicians implant a small stimulation system similar to a cardiac pacemaker under the skin. This system electrically stimulates nerves near the tailbone that control bladder function. “This therapy may be an effective alternative for any patient who has not had success with medications or other treatments,” Dr. Lewis said.
After a trial period, patients may be candidates for a permanent device. “Many patients have such dramatic relief during the test that they can’t wait to have the long-term therapy. The frustration and embarrassment of bladder-control problems exact a heavy toll on their emotional well-being,” Dr. Lewis said.
Sgt. Mazyck agrees. “I knew that it had worked by the second day of the trial run. The leakage stopped and I had less frequency. I had the permanent surgery on March 2, 2006, and it has changed my life. I feel normal again because I don’t have to worry about incontinence. Being paralyzed, that means a lot to me.”
This therapy, which is covered by Medicare and most private insurance companies, is a major breakthrough that can restore patients’ freedom and give them back normal functioning, Dr. Lewis said.
About 13 million Americans suffer from urinary control problems, about 85 percent of whom are women age 30 to 59.