MINNEAPOLIS, May 2, 2000 -- A majority of elderly patients who had received Medtronic InterStimâ Therapy for Urinary Control for relief from the bladder control problems of urge incontinence, significant symptoms of urgency-frequency, and non-obstructive retention expressed satisfaction with the therapy in a survey released today.

Three-quarters of the 95 respondents said they were satisfied with the results of InterStim Therapy, which uses mild electrical stimulation of the sacral nerves in the lower back that control bladder function. Nearly 85 percent said that, given their experience with InterStim Therapy, they would elect to receive the treatment again, and 87 percent said they would recommend it to family and friends with similar problems. Asked to indicate the degree of improvement in their condition since receiving InterStim Therapy, respondents on average ranked improvement at seven on a scale of 1-10.

While the survey polled an elderly patient population, bladder control problems also afflict younger people, especially women in the prime of their work and family lives.

"The findings show that older patients can benefit from InterStim Therapy, as do younger patients," said Steven Siegel, M.D., of Metropolitan Urologic Specialists in St. Paul. "Some physicians believe the nerves of older patients are less responsive to stimulation -- and thus don't recommend sacral nerve stimulation for them. This survey shows that this is not always true. For many, InterStim Therapy can be a welcome treatment option."

Almost all survey respondents had tried other treatments to improve their conditions before turning to InterStim Therapy. Nearly 60 percent had previously undergone surgery to improve their bladder control.

Prior to treatment with InterStim Therapy, more than half of respondents had suffered from having -- or feeling the urge -- to urinate frequently. Four out of 10 received the therapy to address problems with leaking. The remaining patients were treated with InterStim Therapy because of an inability to empty their bladder completely.

Patients aged 17-80, with an average age in the mid-40s, were the focus of a landmark study of InterStim Therapy conducted from 1993-1999. The average age of InterStim Therapy patients in the recent survey was early 70s, and half of the respondents had suffered from bladder control problems for more than eight years before receiving InterStim Therapy.

InterStim Therapy is a treatment option for consideration by people whose bladder control problems have not responded well to drug, diet, exercise or biofeedback therapies and who seek a less invasive treatment option than irreversible surgeries. It uses neurostimulation to send mild electrical pulses to the sacral nerves in the lower back that control bladder function. A stopwatch-sized neurostimulator, placed under the skin of the abdomen, generates mild pulses that are carried via a thin implanted lead, or wire, to the sacral nerves.

More information on InterStim Therapy can be found online at www.interstim.com. Medtronic, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, is the world's leading medical technology company, providing lifelong solutions for people with chronic disease. Its Internet address is www.medtronic.com.