Please tell me more about the artificial urinary sphincter. Who is a candidate?
The artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) is a hydraulic device consisting of a cuff, a pump, and a reservoir. The device can be surgically implanted for the treatment of urinary incontinence due to damage to the urinary sphincter, such as may occur following prostate surgery. Once in place, the device is completely internal, and not visible to the naked eye. The cuff is placed through an incision around the outside of the urethra, and is connected internally to a small pump which is located in the scrotum. Another tube connects the pump to a reservoir, which is usually placed in the lower abdomen. The AUS controls leakage by having the cuff squeeze around the urethra, thus limiting or preventing loss of urine due to increases in abdominal pressure (stress urinary incontinence), as might occur with a cough or bearing down, or just by walking upright. The patient must squeeze the pump in the scrotum to deflate the cuff in order to allow urination to occur. The cuff remains open for 2-3 minutes, and then closes automatically to maintain continence. The AUS has been used for over 25 years, and is considered to be the "gold standard" for the surgical management of stress urinary incontinence in men. For the right patient, an AUS can be a life changing therapy. Men who are candidates usually have more bothersome degrees of leakage requiring multiple pads throughout the day to keep dry. An urodynamic test is usually done to make sure the type of incontinence is suitable for management with the AUS. Source: www.nafc.org
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