Solingen, Germany – A vital medical device that has restored bladder and bowel control to thousands of individuals with spinal cord injuries is facing an uncertain future after its British manufacturer announced it will cease production. The device, known as a Brindleystimulator, allows patients to regain significant independence, but a lack of replacement parts looms as a critical threat to current users and the potential for future advancements.
Oliver Backhaus, a resident of Solingen who has been paralyzed since a 1985 motorcycle accident, has relied on the Brindleystimulator for the past 15 years. “It allows me to live like a pedestrian,” Backhaus stated, describing the improved quality of life the device provides. The Brindleystimulator works by implanting a small receiver under the skin, connected to the sacral nerves in the lower spine. An external control unit allows patients to regulate bowel and bladder function, eliminating the need for catheters and managing incontinence. Backhaus also noted the device’s ability to facilitate sexual function, describing it as “sex on demand.”
Although, Finetech, the British company that manufactures the Brindleystimulator, has informed patients and medical professionals that it will no longer support the device. The company cites Brexit and declining orders as the primary reasons for its decision. This means that essential replacement parts – including control units, cables, and transmitters – will become increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to obtain.
The potential consequences are severe. Dr. Karin El Youssefi-Schmidt, a urologist in Solingen, emphasized the significant benefits the device offers. “The Brindleystimulator allows paraplegics a huge step towards normality,” she said. “A bladder catheter, which always carries a risk of infection, becomes unnecessary. And the process is much simpler.” She illustrated the challenges faced by those without the device, stating, “Imagine having to find a sterile place to insert a catheter on the highway.” Dr. El Youssefi-Schmidt described the prospect of losing access to the technology as “a step back into the Stone Age.”
Approximately 1,000 Brindleystimulators have been implanted in patients across Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Italy. The device initially gained traction in the 1990s, initially intended for female patients seeking to avoid the discomfort and indignity of constant incontinence.
Backhaus, who also chairs a nationwide accessibility advocacy group, is actively working with spinal cord specialists and neurologists to find a solution. He is particularly hopeful that innovative companies and researchers in the Bergisches Land region – a technology hub near Solingen – can step in to address the impending shortage. “It can’t be that we have to accept such a setback,” he said, expressing optimism that a local solution can be found. The future of the Brindleystimulator, and the independence of thousands of patients, remains uncertain as the search for alternatives continues.
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