The history of neuromodulation for lower urinary tract dysfunction: An overview

Electricity has been used since antiquity for medical purposes, including lower urinary tract dysfunction. The advent of artificially produced electricity, the development of battery technology and better knowledge of lower urinary tract physiology, allowed for electrical stimulation as a therapeutic tool. Initially focused on neurogenic bladder dysfunction, functional electrical stimulation (neuromodulation) at low amplitude was developed to treat lower urinary tract dysfunction, with the sacral nerves as primary target. Together with better understanding of the mechanisms of action, technical and hardware developments sacral neuromodulation allowed for excellent results and low morbidity.