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curiouswombatI spent this morning learning how to do Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation - this involved all of us who are part of the uro-gynae team on the island gleefully, or timidly depending on personality, sticking needles into each other's ankles and then sending an electric current through it!
This was to increase the treatments available to ladies who have over-active bladder problems ('ladies' simply because of the team who have learnt - we do a ladies' waterworks clinic). Part of our ethic is that, wherever possible, we should not ask patients to try something we haven't tried ourselves - so we were all there with our socks off and our trousers rolled up, or our tights off if we were wearing skirts, learning on each other - everyone from the clinic nursing assistant to the consultant - he was the first volunteer.
It was actually a really good morning - and the other staff in the vicinity said our laughter could be heard out on the corridor - they all wondered what we were doing that was such fun! And I can honestly tell patients that, having had it done to me, it tingles a little but really would be quite a nice way to spend half an hour a week for 12 weeks.
There is a really good video on YouTube - here for anyone who is interested.
This was to increase the treatments available to ladies who have over-active bladder problems ('ladies' simply because of the team who have learnt - we do a ladies' waterworks clinic). Part of our ethic is that, wherever possible, we should not ask patients to try something we haven't tried ourselves - so we were all there with our socks off and our trousers rolled up, or our tights off if we were wearing skirts, learning on each other - everyone from the clinic nursing assistant to the consultant - he was the first volunteer.
It was actually a really good morning - and the other staff in the vicinity said our laughter could be heard out on the corridor - they all wondered what we were doing that was such fun! And I can honestly tell patients that, having had it done to me, it tingles a little but really would be quite a nice way to spend half an hour a week for 12 weeks.
There is a really good video on YouTube - here for anyone who is interested.
no subject
Date: 19/03/2012 09:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 19/03/2012 10:08 pm (UTC)Currently we are only going to be using it on patients that have had no result from, or bad side effects to, both oral and transdermal medication (transdermal being 'patches' - in this case oxybutinin patches - Kentera). The meds are safe with pacemakers if you tolerate them well. Otherwise the next step might have to be botox injections into the bladder wall...
But, hopefully, they might clear PTNS for people with pacemakers eventually.