A sacral nerve stimulator is a small device implanted in the buttocks of people who have problems with bladder and/or bowel control. This device is implanted in the buttock and connected to the sacral nerve by a wire. The device stops urges to defecate and urinate by sending signals to the sacral nerve. The patient is able to control their bladder and/or bowel via an external device similar to a remote control.
A 2007 review by the Cochrane Collaboration was cautiously optimistic about the results of sacral nerve stimulation in fecal incontinence, although it also concluded that trial periods of stimulation did not adequately identify patients that would benefit from the procedure, and that more longer-term studies were needed.
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