It was a windy November day in the skies above Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  So much so that 29-year-old Centra Mazyck found her petite frame drifting toward another jumper as she parachuted from the C131 aircraft. She and the other jumper untangled themselves just feet above the rapidly approaching ground.  The near fatal accident left Mazyck, a sergeant first class in the U.S. Army, permanently paralyzed from the waist down.

“At times you have a rough landing.  I honestly thought that was the case.  Before waking up surrounded by my family, the last recollection I had was of drop zone medics cutting away my boot and pant leg,” Mazyck recalled.  “When I woke up, the medical professionals explained that I would never walk again.”

During her extended hospital recovery, part of which was spent at the Downtown Augusta VA hospital, Mazyck’s bladder was fine.  But, upon returning home to South Carolina, her bladder began to collapse, causing frequency and leakage problems.  “My doctors unsuccessfully tried three different types of bladder medications and a bladder patch. Then, we found the solution that has greatly improved my quality of life.”

Mazyck is one of many patients who have had InterStim therapy at MCG Health System under the direction of Dr. Ronald Lewis, Chief of Urology.   

Using minimally invasive techniques, physicians implant a small stimulation system similar to a cardiac pacemaker under the skin.  This system provides electrical stimulation to the nerves located near the tailbone that control bladder function.  “This therapy may be an effective alternative for any patient who has not had success with medications or other treatments,” Dr. Lewis said.

After a trial period, patients may be candidates for a permanently implanted device.  “Many patients have such dramatic relief during the test that they can’t wait to have the long-term therapy.  The frustration and embarrassment of bladder control problems exact a heavy toll on their emotional well being,” Dr. Lewis said.

Mazyck agrees.  “I knew that it had worked by the second day of the trial run.  The leakage stopped and I had less frequency.  I had the permanent surgery on March 2, 2006, and it has changed my life.  I feel normal again because I don’t have to worry about incontinence.  Being paralyzed, that means a lot to me,” she said.

“This therapy, which is covered by Medicare and most private insurance companies, is a major breakthrough that can restore patients’ freedom and give them back normal functioning,” Lewis said.

About 13 million Americans suffer from urinary control problems.  About 85 percent of them are women ages 30 to 59.

MCG Health System is composed of three separate organizations -- MCG Health, Inc. and the clinical services offered by the faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the members of the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation.  The physicians of MCG Health System are community physicians, faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia or employees of the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation, not employees of MCG Health Inc.  MCG Health, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCG Medical Center, MCG Children’s Medical Center, the MCG Sports Medicine Center, MCG Ambulatory Care Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center and related clinical facilities and services. MCG Health, Inc. was formed to support the research and education mission of the Medical College of Georgia and to build the economic growth of the CSRA, the state of Georgia and the Southeast by providing an environment for faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation and community physicians to deliver the highest level of primary and specialty health care.  For more information, please visit www.MCGHealth.org.