	Sacral nerve stimulation for bladder or bowel problems This page is about Sacral Nerve Stimulation (SNS) – it’s the operation your doctors think may help with your bladder or bowel problems
	This operation can help if you have an over-active bladder – this means you need to wee a lot
	or you can't always get to the toilet in time
	This operation can help if you cannot empty your bladder of wee properly
	This operation can help if you have faecal incontinence – this means you may leak poo after you have finished going for a poo
	or you can’t always get to the toilet in time
	7 out of 10 people think the operation is helpful
	You will have 2 operations The operations will be 2 to 4 weeks apart
	Operation 1 The first operation tests to see if the operation is going to help you
	the surgeon and the anaesthetist will go through the plans for your operation
	we may give you a pair of special stockings to wear to help stop blood clots
	we may give you an injection to thin your blood
	we make a tiny cut in your lower back and a second tiny cut in your upper buttock
	we put a wire near the nerves - we do this using x-ray to make sure it is in the right place
	the wire passes out through the skin at the side of your buttock
	we connect this wire to a stimulator box outside your body
	the stimulator box sends electrical current to the nerves – you will wear the stimulator box all the time
	you will probably be able to go home on the same day as your operation
	Between operation 1 and 2
	keep you dressings clean and dry
	don't shower or go in the bath
	keep yourself clean by using a sponge or flannel
	don't take the dressings off
	while you are at home, we will be in touch regularly to see how well everything is working
	fill in the bladder diary so that we can see if the treatment is helping
	if you get
	redness, pus or swelling around the operation site
	and a high temperature
	contact us straight away
	Operation 2 The second operation makes the treatment long term
	if the treatment has not worked, we will take out the wire
	if the treatment has worked, we put in the permanent stimulator
	we may give you antibiotics to reduce the risk of getting an infection
	we usually switch on your stimulator after the operation – but sometimes we may wait a few days to do this
	when it is switched on you may get a tapping feeling
	we will set the stimulator up so that you get the most help without any discomfort
	we will show you how to change the stimulator settings yourself – by using a remote control device or your phone
	feel free to ask us any questions that you have
	After the operation keep the dressings clean and dry
	don’t do any stretching or sport for 6 to 12 weeks – this can make the wires move out of place
	the operation is safe, but some people get side effects – the most common ones are
	tenderness in your back, ankle or foot problems with your bowels infection at the place where we did the operation
	you may start the security alarms in shops or at airports – show your SNS card to security staff or turn it off before going through security
	your battery may be rechargeable – we will show you how to charge it up
	if your battery is not rechargeable, we will replace it when it stops working
	Long term
	the benefit you get from the stimulator may wear off after a while and we may need to reprogramme it
	if you think you may be pregnant your SNS will need to be switched off – we don’t know how it may affect the unborn baby
	don’t play any contact sports, ride horses or do any extreme sport
	some people cannot have an MRI scan, but some people can – ask your surgeon if you can have one
	if you need any other surgery, tell your surgeon that you have an SNS device, as it may need to be switched off