Sacral root stimulation in controlled micturition. Peripheral somatic neurotomy and stimulated voiding.

Stimulation of the sacral ventral roots with the largest detrusor representation was found to be moderately successful for bladder emptying in acute canine experiments. However, removal of spinal reflexes arising from sacral root stimulation did not eliminate sphincteric resistance. For that reason ventral roots were stimulated after peripheral somatic neurotomy. Unilateral pudendal nerve sectioning was compared with selective sectioning of the somatic fibers of S2, the root with the greatest detrusor representation in canines. Both were equally effective in significantly reducing outlet resistance. Selective nerve section has one advantage: it preserves more of the nerve pathways involved in reflexogenic erection.