Artificial urethral sphincter
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Artificial urinary sphincters replace the function of the natural urinary sphincter in patients with sphincter damage or neurologic disease. Most commonly used to treat patients with urinary incontinence following surgery for prostate cancer. They are sometimes used in combination with a bladder neck stent.
Design
A typical design includes:
- Urethral cuff at the bladder neck or proximal urethra.
- Cuff is attached to a pump and fluid balloon reservoir.
- Pump can be manually used to inflate or deflate the urethral cuff by redistributing the fluid in the balloon reservoir.
- Inflation of the cuff constricts the sphincter, and deflation of the cuff allows urine to leave the bladder and flow through the urethra.
Images of an artificial urethral sphincter