Urology Services

Electrical Stimulation

Your physician has scheduled you for a series of ELECTRICAL STIMULATION sessions to improve urinary or bowel control. You probably have many questions about this procedure. The following will help answer those questions.

What is Electrical Stimulation?
Electrical stimulation is a method of improving urinary or bowel control by strengthening and toning pelvic floor muscles and decreasing bladder contractility and irritability.

How does it work?
The use of a computer shows you at each visit how much improvement you have made in strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. An improvement in muscle strength and tone correlates directly with an improvement in urinary or fecal incontinence symptoms. You will see graphic representation of your session on a color monitor. By stimulating the pelvic floor muscles that control continence and strengthening them, you can achieve better or total control over your urinary or bowel control problem.

How is it done?
A small probe is inserted into the vagina in the female or the rectum in the male. This probe is given to you at the initial session and you will need to bring it with you at each additional session. The probe is connected to a cord that is connected to a computer system. The probe provides a small electrical stimulation to the muscles of the pelvic floor, causing them to contract. Stimulation for several seconds is followed by a rest period of several seconds. The intensity of the stimulation is increased slowly until the muscle is felt to contract. The cycle of stimulation/relaxation is repeated for a fifteen minute session.

How many sessions do I need?
The average number of sessions is two to three times per week. You will be seen initially, then several times per week within the following month. At that time, you will either start to work on performing the pelvic floor exercises at home without electrical stimulation or you will be asked to rent an electrical stimulation home unit. Visits will be scheduled monthly from then on.

What is my responsibility between sessions?
Between sessions, you will be asked to either faithfully perform pelvic floor exercises three times a day per an instruction sheet given to you, or faithfully use the Electrical Stimulation unit twice daily.
The initial session is about 45 minutes in length with subsequent sessions lasting approximately half an hour. Please bring your unit and probe with you for each session.

For more information or for an appointment, please call The Continence Center:
Phone: (941) 917-2365
FAX: (941) 917-7132
Location: 1921 Waldemere Street, Suite 401, Waldemere Medical Plaza