Neuromodulation 10 years on: how widely should we use this technique in bladder dysfunction?

Purpose Of Review: There has been growing interest in sacral nerve stimulation in the management of both overactivity syndromes and nonobstructive voiding dysfunction. Its increased use has led to a growth in experience with this treatment and where and when it is best used. At this point, some technical aspects of the use of neuromodulation have become more standardized and the next stages of research will hopefully shed light on how to maximize the efficacy of the technique.

Comparisons of the responses of anterior and posterior human adult male bladder neck smooth muscle to in vitro stimulation.

Objective: To evaluate differing methods of stimulation on strips of human bladder neck smooth muscle and compare muscle taken from the anterior and posterior aspects.

Materials And Methods: Samples of adult human male bladder neck muscle were obtained from patients undergoing open radical prostatectomy. Muscle was taken from either the anterior or posterior (nine and six patients, respectively) aspects of the bladder neck.

An evaluation of laparoscopic tissue harvesting for human adult urological smooth muscle physiological experimentation.

Objective: To evaluate the properties of laparoscopically harvested bladder neck and ureteric smooth muscle, compared with tissue obtained at open surgery.

Materials And Methods: Bladder neck was harvested from patients undergoing open (eight) or laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (11). Ureter was obtained from patients undergoing nephrectomy (laparoscopic or open) and cystectomy (open only); obtained openly from 16 and laparoscopically from seven.