Implantation of anterior sacral root stimulators combined with posterior sacral rhizotomy in spinal injury patients

Brindley-Finetech sacral anterior root stimulators combined with posterior sacral rhizotomy were implanted in 68 males and 28 females with spinal cord lesions. In 9 patients the electrodes were implanted extradurally in the sacrum, and in 90 patients they were implanted intradurally (3 patients had a second extradural implant after a first intradural implant). Three patients died from causes unrelated to the implant. Of the 93 surviving patients, 83 used their implants for micturition and 82 were fully continent. The mean bladder capacity increased from 206 ml preoperatively to 564 ml after the operation. Three patients had a preoperative vesicorenal reflux that disappeared after surgery. In all, 51 patients used the stimulator for defecation. Erection was possible with electrical stimulation in 46 males and was used for coitus by 17 couples. Secondary deafferentation at the level of the conus was performed four times. Three patients who had a cerebrospinal fluid leak were operated on again. Two implants had to be removed because of infection. Sacral anterior root stimulation combined with sacral deafferentation is a welcome addition to the treatment of neurogenic bladder in spinal cord injury patients.