Sling's?? male and female?

You probably already know this, but you are going to be charting interesting territory. You also may have seen this but I found one study on the subject, but it's almost two years old.  If anything it's probably going to have improved results.:

Early Results Of Adjustable Male Sling Encouraging
Main Category: Urology / Nephrology
Also Included In: Prostate / Prostate Cancer
Article Date: 23 Mar 2006 - 0:00 PST

UroToday.com - Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) can be an unfortunate complication of prostatic surgery and can have devastating effects on men's quality of life. The condition has also been difficult to treat reliably with more severe cases of incontinence requiring surgical correction with periurethral bulking agents, artificial sphincter insertion (AUS), and more recently pubourethral or bulbourethral sling placement. Currently available slings rely on the correction tension to be chosen in the operating room to provide sufficient urethral compression to eliminate incontinence. This determination can be difficult to estimate reliably.

A recent report by S. V. Romano, F. Nakamura and colleagues from Argentina and Brazil describes the efficacy and safety of a new adjustable bulbourethral sling for male stress incontinence after prostate surgery. The report of this multicenter trial is published in the February 2006 issue of BJU International.

The new sling has three components: the pad, a 4.2 X 2.6 X 0.9 cm thick silicone foam cushion designed to provide soft compression of the bulbar urethra, the silicone tubing connected to the pad is comprised of multiple cone-like sections that allow it to be pulled through silicone washers to adjust the tension of the sling. The operation is similar to that described by Schaeffer for the original bulbourethral sling. The perineal membrane lateral to the bulbar urethra and medial to the ischiopubic ramus is exposed and punctured with a special tool that is then passed suprapubically behind the pubic ramus and through the rectus fascia and out of the skin- much like a TVT would be placed in a woman. The pad and its silicone connection tubing is connected to the tool and pulled up. The silicone washers are placed on the tubing and the sling tension is adjusted to provide an absence of flow at a retrograde perfusion pressure of 45 cm of H2O. The silicone washers are buried on the fascia under the skin and the two suprapubic and one perineal incisions are closed.

The procedure was performed on 48 men with SUI over a one and a half year period. All men reported moderate to severe SUI for > 1 year after radical prostatectomy (39) or after surgery for benign disease (9). Of the 48 men, 19 wore an average of 5 pads/day, and 29 used a penile clamp or a condom catheter preoperatively. The mean follow-up was 7.5 months and in 30 men (63%) it was >6 months. Results showed that before and after surgery, the mean retrograde perfusion pressure was 23.5 and 47.5 cm of H2O. Overall, SUI was cured (dry, no pads) in 35 (73%) patients, and improved in five (10%; mild sporadic incontinence, one or fewer pads/day). The treatment failed in eight patients (17%, more than 2 pads a day), despite readjustment in 3 (6%) and loosening in one. The sling was removed in thee patients (6%) due to urethral erosion and in two (4%) due to infection.

The early results of this new sling are encouraging and with acceptable complication rates this procedure may provide another valid alternative to the artificial urinary sphincter for men with stress urinary incontinence after prostate surgery.

By Michael J. Metro, MD

Reference:
BJU Int. 2006 Mar; 97(3):533-39
Link Here.
Romano SV, Metrebian SE, Vaz F, Muller V, D'Ancona CA, Costa DE Souza EA, Nakamura F

UroToday - the only urology website with original content written by global urology key opinion leaders actively engaged in clinical practice.


Good Luck, KW, You have my thoughts and prayers.

Tony

Tony, Thanks for the research. Yes I have seen that study. The AdVance sling is a newer device and has shown as much as 80% of patients get 100% control. I hope to be in that 80% group for a change. But if not, I know it will greatly improve things.

Susan, Thanks for the encouragement and support.

I will be posting updates on "My Journey" as things go along.

KW

Hi kw,

Here's a female version of the sling surgery. I had the sling installed a year ago because of stress caused incontinence. Bending, coughing, laughing, sneezing, lifting etc, and also having 3 children.  It was the best thing I ever did for myself! And my self esteem!  It was done as an outpatient procedure, went home that afternoon and had the cath removed the following day.  I was feeling really good within a week and had instant positive results.  Had to take it easy for about 6 weeks and not lift anything heavy.  So I hope you have the same success story as I do. 

Good luck and keep us posted!

Marie