At the Liverpool Women’s Hospital, we have a dedicated team of Specialist Consultants’ and Nurses within the Urogynaecology service.
We have a pathway of various options to treat and manage symptoms of an overactive bladder. One of the treatments available for this is Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation (PTNS).
PTNS is a treatment that works by stimulating the tibial Nerve, which is connected to the bladder. This is done using an acupuncture needle inserted in the ankle and attached to a stimulator.
Treatment lasts 30 minutes and is given weekly for 12 weeks. For this to have the maximum benefit patients need to be committed to attending the weekly treatments. If it is successful monthly top ups can then be offered. The success rate of PTNS is about 60-70%. There are virtually no side effects, and it is a non-invasive treatment choice.
At the Liverpool Women’s we offer PTNS in group sessions with a maximum of 6 patients per group. Each group comes at the same time every week for 12 weeks and we want to ensure that our patients receive their treatment in a nice relaxing friendly environment where we can all chat and share tips to improve our bladder health, however some patients prefer to read or do puzzles to pass the time. You will sit in a comfortable chair with your leg up on a stool and bladder-friendly drinks can be provided.
The support of our dedicated nurses will be available throughout the treatment for any questions or queries you may have, and we want to make the experience as enjoyable as possible for our patients.