Intravesical bladder stimulation in myelodysplasia.

Intravesical transurethral bladder stimulation has been used as a diagnostic and rehabilitative technique in children with a neurogenic bladder for 3 years. The program has expanded from 10 to 42 patients undergoing a significant number of therapy sessions. The technique presently is done on an outpatient basis. The child is catheterized for 90 minutes and undergoes electrotherapy for 60 minutes, ideally 3 to 5 days per week. An individual series consists of 15 to 30 daily sessions. Presently, 62 patients have been evaluated and 42 have had a least 1 complete series. This ongoing program has provided more data to classify better patients who can expect success with the program. Of the patients who presented initially with detrusor contractions and areflexia 80 and 33 per cent, respectively, can expect to void to completion or have full sensation so as to perform timely clean intermittent catheterization. A total of 21 patients underwent at least 3 series, and 38 per cent void with low pressure and total continence.