procedure costs?

[jamiet]

My doctor said that the next step for me is to consider InterStim. Chances are, my insurance won't cover it. Does anyone know approximately how much the procedure and the actual device costs? I am so desparate to find relief and will try anything but I'd like to get a ballpark figure as what to expect.
Thank you.
Jamie

[Katrina]

:grouphug: I hope you get the answer and can get the money you need.

[dyno]

I can't answer from experience, I have heard around $30,000 mentioned before. I don't know if that is everything or what that figured included. I am sure it can vary and what you should probably do is ask your Dr. for, and I can't think of the right term here, but it is a pre procedure cost estimate so you know what you might be dealing with. Hard for you to decide anything if you are only guessing at what the cost will be.
Hugs, :grouphug:

[dyno]

Jamie,
I am going to do another post here on this. I don't know what you have tried yet for treatment, it sounds like you are pretty miserable.

Several things for you to consider. Interstim is a last resort treatment that can be used when other more conservative treatments, oral medications, instills etc. have failed. That is the way this was approved by the FDA. It is not approved for IC or for pain. It is approved for frequency and some do get pain relief from it.

Do your homework and make sure you understand all that is involved with this procedure. Check with people who have had success and those who have had failures. Know in your heart and soul that you can handle the additional problems that can face you in addition to the IC if your one of the ones that this doesn't work for. I need to look up some websites and will post some links in another post.

You will find plenty of support here no matter what you decide. But this is a big decision for anyone to make and you are the only one that can decide what to do with your body. :grouphug:

[yvette]

The cost is roughly $30,000 - $50, 000.

My uro told me my insurance companies would only pay for Interstim once they see you've exhausted all other options. So I had to got thru Urodymamics, pelvic floor therapy, instillations, oral medications, Cystoscopies with Hydrodistentions, Acupuncture, massage....the whole rig-ma-roll.

So basically my trying all this was sort of of a loophole. As long as I tried everything and it failed me....then Interstim was considered the last thing to try. And as long as I tried everything else....the Insurance company agreed to pay. Also the Medtronic Rep really helped out in that respect. He was able to work with the insurance company so the uros (3) I had didn't have to. And the uros and I could work on what to expect, pre and post op. What I should be able to do, healing time, work, short term disability (I took a month off from work) etc. etc.


Good Luck!! :thumbsup:

[dyno]

Here is one of the links I was looking for. It is a short version of a good article in March 2004 Good Housekeeping on medical implants.

http://magazines.ivillage.com/goodhousekeeping/hb/health/articles/0,,284594_615788,00.html

I am looking for the medtronics and medreview websites too and can't find them yet. I will keep looking.

As you can tell we want you to look at the good and the bad. We all need to do that on any treatment we choose.:kissing:

Here is another site.
http://www.medtronic.com/neuro/interstim/

Here is one more.
http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety.htm