Canine bladder evacuation by electrical stimulation of the ventral sacral nerve roots

Electrical stimulation of the sacral ventral nerve roots with short duration current pulses (<200 μs) results in simultaneous contraction of the detrusor and the urethral sphincter. The increased outlet resistance prohibits voiding during stimulation. Reduction of the sphincter contraction would improve bladder emptying. This can be done by selective activation of the small fibers, using an anodal block. Acute experiments using dogs, demonstrate that this technique is capable of inducing selective detrusor activation and concomitant voiding during stimulation