image: UChicago Medicine surgeons perform the minimally-invasive procedure to implant the new Revi device.
Credit: University of Chicago Medicine
UChicago Medicine has become the first medical center in Illinois to implant the Revi neuromodulation device, an exciting new treatment option that could offer relief for patients with urinary urgency incontinence (UUI).
“I am really happy that we can offer this innovative approach to all our patients and very proud to be at the real forefront of medicine as the first in the state to have done this surgery,” said urologist Ervin Kocjancic, MD, the surgeon who performed the procedure.
UUI, a chronic, debilitating, and often embarrassing condition, affects millions of people and can significantly impact daily life. Existing treatments to improve bladder control, such as medications and other surgical interventions, often come with limitations or side effects. The new, single-step procedure involves placing a small, battery-free implant near the ankle, avoiding the need for follow-up surgeries often required with other implants. When activated with a lightweight external wearable device, the implant stimulates the posterior tibial nerve to calm the bladder and provide relief from UUI.
“This is a brand new technology — real innovation in the field of female and functional urology,” Kocjancic said. “With this minimally invasive approach, done using local anesthesia, patients are able to regain a normal life without being at the mercy of their malfunctioning bladders."
"I was really pleasantly surprised by our patient when he asked me candidly if the surgery was really over," Kocjancic added. "He didn't feel any discomfort from the procedure."