Sandra Ivo first met Roger Goldberg, MD, urogynecologist with Endeavor Health Medical Group, when she worked as a medical assistant for an internal medicine provider in Vernon Hills, in the same office building as Dr. Goldberg. She turned to Dr. Goldberg years later for help with stress incontinence and, more recently, with a medical issue that Ivo suffered with and kept to herself for too long.
In October 2024, she had a sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) procedure, during which Dr. Goldberg implanted a device to send mild electric impulses to stimulate nerves that control her bladder. This is a high-tech solution for female bladder and bowel problems, placing an actual pacemaker with a 15-year battery.
Dr. Goldberg said, “With the use of implantable stimulators and/or electro-acupuncture, our physicians are now capable of managing bladder and bowel control issues affecting millions. Sandra is a perfect example of someone who had seen many doctors, believed she did not have options, and, with our team, found a cure.”
History of incontinence
Urinary issues began for Ivo about five years ago. Ivo, like many women, would leak small amounts when she coughed or sneezed. In 2020, Dr. Goldberg placed a bladder sling for Ivo to help with stress incontinence.
While the sling helped with the stress incontinence, Ivo began having other, evolving symptoms. First, she was waking at night frequently to urinate. She initially would wake up one to three times per night. That escalated to waking every 45 minutes, all night long, with a strong urge to urinate and sometime loss of control. As a result, Ivo never rested well and was constantly tired.
Increased weight gain also became a concern; Ivo says she craved carbohydrates and snacked regularly to stay awake. In addition, she was having numerous urinary tract infections (UTIs) each year, because her bladder never fully emptied.
Ivo was somewhat embarrassed by her symptoms, not even seeking help from her primary care physician (PCP) until she could finally grasp that she was suffering in silence.
Ivo’s PCP referred her to an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN) for a higher level of care. Because Ivo never had children, she did not believe she needed to see an OB/GYN regularly. At this appointment, the physician suggested finding a urogynecologist to help with the increased incontinence, and Ivo knew exactly who to see.
“The biggest advice I can give to other women is do not wait,” Ivo said. “A lot of times, we as women don’t ask for additional medical help if it is not immediately offered. Stop hesitating and speak up! It was silly that I suffered with other symptoms for as long as I did.”
SNS placement and recovery
In October 2024, Ivo had outpatient surgery for SNS placement. The device was implanted through a small incision below her lower back, just under the skin. The SNS sends an electrical impulse to the nerves that control the bladder (and bowel) to adjust neural activity.
“This device has all of the sophistication of a cardiac pacemaker, but in this case, we’re modulating the pelvic nerves which directly impacts control,” Dr Goldberg explained. “Over the long run, patients visit the office and we can painlessly adjust the device based on their symptoms, using a handheld computer.”
The results for Ivo were almost immediate, including almost complete improvement in her sleep, waking up just one to two times per night to urinate.
This new sleep pattern was life changing. She said, “One Saturday morning, I woke up at 7:30 in the morning, showered, got dressed and was sitting at the kitchen table making a grocery list. My husband, Jim, asked me what I was doing, and I said ‘I’m rested, I feel great, and I’m going grocery shopping.’ He was so used to me not having energy and sleeping later in the morning because I did not rest well all night for years.”
At her post-operative appointment, Ivo had tears in her eyes when Dr. Goldberg came into the exam room.
“I told him my life has changed for the better and I am just so grateful,” Ivo said. “I think Dr. Goldberg is an amazing person. When I talk, he listens to me. He hears what I’m saying and is very empathetic. He is just a wonderful person and is so kind. I did not feel embarrassed to talk to him about myself and my struggles.”
Dr. Goldberg commented, “I feel fortunate to be on the cutting edge of so much research and innovation in this field, ranging from nerve stimulation technologies as in Sandra’s case, to Botox, as well as surgical methods that we’ve developed that are less invasive than ever before. Millions of women suffer silently from bladder, bowel and pelvic floor changes, and Sandra’s story is just one example of how we provide relief.”
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