Botox® treatment offers new hope for patients with bladder problems

After 17 years of lost sleep, excruciating pain and a life defined by whether a restroom was nearby, Roberta Towery is pain-free thanks to a simple, outpatient procedure performed by Scott & White urologist, Dr. Erin Bird.

No known cure for interstitial cystitis

Mrs. Towery's condition, interstitial cystitis, is a chronic illness that can cause the bladder to scar so it only holds small amounts of urine. There is no known cure for this condition that often dictates how a patient lives.

"Imagine you have a debilitating condition and live in chronic pain," said Dr. Bird. "You've been told it's all in your head and you need to just get used to it, but you can't because it has taken over every facet of your life. You can't even escape it in your sleep. Every day you wake up, exhausted, not knowing if you have the will to face another day."

Alternative to bladder removal

That was the state Mrs. Towery found herself in just before she came to Scott & White. For years, the 77 year-old resident of Neosho, Missouri did what her doctors prescribed for her condition, to no avail. She then assumed that the nationally acclaimed health institutions she called upon in desperation would certainly have the means and desire to help her. To compound her desperation, some even refused to see her because of her diagnosis. Others offered as the only alternative to remove her bladder, forcing her to wear a urine bag for the rest of her life.

Mrs. Towery's son, Gale, heard about Scott & White's willingness to take on cases that others rejected. He made an appointment for his mom, hoping she would undergo surgery immediately after her consultation with Dr. Bird.

"At last we had somebody who was listening," says Mrs. Towery. "This was better than anything we ever heard of." And when one has reached the limits of patience and pain, she says, "You must be adventurous."

Unconventional but simple

Indeed, the procedure Mrs. Towery underwent was not conventional, but fairly straightforward. Dr. Bird, who has performed twenty similar procedures on other patients, used a camera to peer into Mrs. Towery's bladder, and then injected Botox® directly into it with a small needle.

Botox® is made from the botulism toxin. It has been modified and has been utilized in FDA-approved procedures such as for the treatment of wrinkles. By injecting Botox® into her bladder, her nerves were "put to sleep," calming their harmful influence on the bladder. Unfortunately, Botox® does not cure the problem and must be repeated every three to twelve months.

A last chance for relief

Mrs. Towery's husband says that the trip to Temple and Dr. Bird was their last chance for some relief. "It's been pretty hard to keep going," watching his wife suffer, getting up during the night to urinate as much as every 15 minutes, he said. "I love that young lady, and this was about to eat me up."

The treatment isn't for everyone. But it can provide relief for patients with overactive bladders and interstitial cystitis who have failed to benefit from other treatments. Just days after her procedure, Mrs. Towery had resumed a full life, a life that she hadn't experienced in nearly two decades. Mr. Towery is feeling a lot better, too.

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