Efficacy and Safety of Sacral Neuromodulation in Patients with Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction: A Five-Year Experience in North Cyprus

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) therapy is a well-tolerated treatment modality for voiding dysfunctions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SNM in patients with voiding dysfunction in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and to share our current experience. MATERIALS AND METHODS:This retrospective study included a cohort of 39 patients who received SNM treatment between April 2018 and December 2023. Patients diagnosed with urinary retention and bladder overactivity were included in the study. History of the disease and etiologies, urinalysis, residual voiding volume, voiding diaries, global response assessment scale, and complications in response to treatment were analyzed. RESULTS:The study included 39 participants (27 females and 12 males, with a mean age of 60.2±10.9 years. Overall, the treatment success rate was 65.7%. The average duration for implanting leads was 40.8±7.9 minutes. There were no reported cases of infection. However, electrode migration occurred in 2.8% of cases, and device-related pain occurred in 10.3%. The post-void residual volume in patients with urinary retention decreased from >200 mL to <100 mL following treatment. The typical number of urinary incontinence episodes among patients with OAB was 5±2 per day, which significantly decreased to 2.6±1.27 per day following treatment.CONCLUSION: SNM is a reliable and safe treatment method for patients who are suitable for this treatment. In TRNC, the necessary infrastructure and technical support are available to treat and monitor patients and manage potential complications. However, to achieve higher success rates and more robustly analyzed treatment outcomes, multicenter randomized trials and studies with larger sample sizes are required.