Commentary
Video
Dr. Sutherland on treatment considerations in tibial nerve stimulation
Author(s):
“I think 1 size doesn't fit all. We can't make a blanket statement that 1 of those types of therapy is better for all patients than another,” says Suzette E. Sutherland, MD, MS, FPMRS.
In this video, Suzette E. Sutherland, MD, MS, FPMRS, discusses patient-level considerations for choosing between tibial neurostimulation devices. Sutherland is an associate professor in the department of urology and the director of female urology at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. Sutherland also served as an investigator on the FDA approval trial for BlueWind’s Revi System.
Video Transcript:
The eCoin is implanted; the whole thing is implanted. It turns on and off on its own, so the patient doesn't have to think about doing sessions. It's a set it and forget it option. That really resonates with a lot of patients. If that is what resonates, or you think they're not going to be compliant with doing their sessions at home and remembering to do their sessions–maybe there's some cognitive impairment and they will forget to do their sessions, or not want to, or whatever it is–then a set it and forget it option is probably a better option for them.
On the flip side is the BlueWind device, where it's 1 surgery [and] just the lead gets implanted, everything else is external. You don't have to, right off the bat, talk to the patient that, “in 3 years, we're going to have to take this out surgically and put a new one in and every 3 years, we're going to have to do that.” If you're talking to a 35-year-old, every 3 years? There's an advantage from that standpoint. Also, there's the idea that you can tailor your therapy, and you, as a patient, are involved in your therapy. It's not a set it and forget it; you have to do your therapy. There is some thought behind it [that if] the patients are invested, do they do better vs a set it and forget it? Again, those are unanswered questions. I think 1 size doesn't fit all. We can't make a blanket statement that 1 of those types of therapy is better for all patients than another. That's why having choices is very helpful, so we can tailor it to what the patients want, what they're able to do, and what their needs are.
This transcription has been edited for clarity.
