Functional Electrical Stimulation for Control of Internal Organ Function

This paper discusses the use of electrical stimulation for cardiac assist and control of bladder and bowel. It describes the state of the art, what progress there will be in the coming 10 years and what problems need to be solved in order to make that progress. The paper speculates that within 10 years, there will be patients whose cardiac function is augmented by the pumping function of skeletal muscle assist devices, and furthermore that within 10 years new implantable devices will be available to improve both bladder and bowel emptying by electrical stimulation. Yet another implantable device may become available which allows treatment of detrusor hyperreflexia without the need for a dorsal sacral rhizotomy.