An estimated 40 million adults across the planet have fecal incontinence, the inability to control your bowel movements. Does this number seem high to you? Though this condition typically affects people as they get older, most commonly after age 70, the surprising truth is that younger women can experience fecal incontinence after suffering neuromuscular trauma from childbirth.
Also worth noting: 25% of women with fecal incontinence also have urinary incontinence, the inability to control your bladder. In fact, many of Dr. Aguirre’s patients have both bladder and bowel control issues. This makes sense when you consider just how traumatic natural childbirth can be, often resulting in bladder incontinence.
Fortunately, Dr. Aguirre is on the forefront of medical treatments for both fecal and urinary incontinence! Did you know that he was one of the first surgeons in Colorado to implement InterStim Therapy for bowel control in 2011? And in 2019, he was the first surgeon in Colorado to implement Axonics Therapy® for fecal incontinence, overactive bladder and urinary retention?
Here’s a closer look at these two amazing technologies that may help you! They are both MRI compatible and have battery life that lasts for up to 15 years.
- InterStim is an implantable system that uses mild electrical stimulation of the sacral nerves to influence the behavior of the pelvic floor muscles and bowel. This implant is clinically proven to significantly reduce fecal incontinent episodes for a high percentage of patients. Best of all, you can sort of “test drive” if this treatment is right for you through a test stimulation procedure. This means you don’t have to commit until you know it works for you! In 2022 Medtronics released their new generator, InterStim X, which has a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years.
- FDA-approved Axonics Therapy for fecal incontinence, overactive bladder and urinary retention is a Rechargeable Sacral Neuromodulation System. That’s quite a long name, but more simply put, Axonics is a small, rechargeable implant for the bowel or bladder that is designed to last 15 years! Once inserted, the device is operated by the patient with a simple remote control, which gently stimulates the nerves controlling bowel or bladder function. Best of all, research shows that Axonics Therapy is easy to use and helps to dramatically improve a patient’s quality of life! In early 2022 Axonics released their recharge-free Axonics F15 generator.
Learn more about treatments for fecal and/or bladder incontinence by calling us at 303-223-9707 or requesting a personal consultation online today!
