Sacral Nerve Stimulation Therapy for the Treatment of Chronic Fecal Incontinence

Medtronic

Status

Completed

Conditions

Fecal Incontinence

Treatments

Device: InterStim Sacral Nerve Stimulation Therapy

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Industry

Identifiers

NCT00200057

G010206

Details and patient eligibility

About

Fecal incontinence (FI) is a difficulty in storing gas, liquid stool or solid stool (bowel movement) in order to expel it at a proper time and place. Patients who suffer from FI may experience passive FI (difficulty in sensing stool in the rectum) or urgency (able to sense a bowel movement but cannot hold the stool until an acceptable time and place). FI is not a life-threatening disease, but it is often profoundly distressing and socially incapacitating.

If a patient is suffering with symptoms of chronic FI despite trying oral medications, biofeedback and/or other more conservative treatments, a patient may be eligible to participate in a clinical research study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of sacral nerve stimulation for the treatment of chronic fecal incontinence. One hundred-twenty (120) patients will be implanted with medical devices and followed closely for twelve months, and then once a year after that until the study closes. There are up to 20 centers in the United States.

Enrollment

285 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18+ years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Signed and dated informed consent.
18 years of age or older.
Patient is diagnosed with chronic fecal incontinence of a duration greater than 6 months (>12 months post-vaginal childbirth) and defined as > 2 incontinent episodes on average per week of more than staining recorded during the baseline diary period.
Failed or are not candidates for more conservative treatments.
Willing and competent to completely and accurately fill out bowel diaries and questionnaires throughout the study.

Exclusion criteria

Congenital anorectal malformations.
Active participation in another bowel disorder investigational study.
Present rectal prolapse.
Previous rectal surgery (such as rectopexy or resection) or sphincteroplasty done < 12 months prior to study enrollment (24 months for cancer).
Neurological diseases such as clinically significant peripheral neuropathy or complete spinal cord injury (i.e. paraplegia).
Grade III hemorrhoids.
Known or suspected organic disorders of the bowel (i.e. Inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's or ulcerative colitis).
Chronic watery diarrhea, unmanageable by drugs or diet, as primary cause of fecal incontinence. (Incontinent episodes with a Bristol stool consistency of > 6 for > 4 days during the baseline diary period will be exclusionary, unless the investigator determines that the diary is not indicative of chronic watery diarrhea.)
Pregnancy or planned pregnancy.
Patients for whom patient materials are not available in a language understood by the patient.
Life expectancy of less than one year.
Patient characteristics indicating a poor understanding of the study or poor compliance with the study protocol (i.e., patients unable to adequately operate equipment, patients unwilling or unable to return for scheduled follow-up visits).
Patients with a history of pelvic irradiation who present with visible or functional effects of irradiation.
Patients with active anal abscesses or fistulas.
Patients with anatomical limitations that would prevent the successful placement of an electrode.
Patients with knowledge of planned MRIs, diathermy, microwave, or RF energy.
Patients with other implantable neurostimulators, pacemakers or defibrillators.
Defect of external anal sphincter of >60 degrees or amenable to surgical repair.