Interim results from a groundbreaking UK clinical trial offer real hope of restoring bladder control to people paralysed after a spinal cord injury.
Eight people have so far been implanted with an epidural stimulation device as part of the potentially life-changing ImPRESS trial at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore.
Five participants have completed the trial and early results are encouraging. Using the stimulator supressed the urge to wee and significantly improved bladder capacity – on average by 100 per cent.
They include actor Josh Sher, who was paralysed from the chest down after a motorbike accident in 2020. He spent months in hospital and had multiple, major surgeries before being transferred to the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre at Stanmore.
“Following my injury I have an over-active, hyper-sensitive bladder so even drinking a small amount of liquid can sometimes feel like a lot,” said Josh, who is currently to be seen in the Channel 4 crime drama Hit Point.
“After the having the stim implanted, it cuts off the signals to the brain and gets rid of the urgency which gives me the time to get to the bathroom. It’s great to see technologies coming along that can make a real difference to people living with spinal cord injuries.”