Urinary incontinence can significantly affect your confidence, daily activities, and quality of life. For some men, leakage becomes a persistent problem despite pelvic floor exercises, medications, or other treatments.
At his practices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Paul Chung, MD, FACS, and our team help people explore advanced treatment options for urinary incontinence, including artificial urinary sphincters.
For many men with moderate to severe stress urinary incontinence, this device can provide lasting improvement and restore greater control over bladder function.
Understanding how an artificial urinary sphincter works can help you determine whether it may be an appropriate treatment option.
An artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) is a surgically implanted device that treats stress urinary incontinence.
The device helps control urine flow by replacing the function of a weakened or damaged urinary sphincter muscle. The urinary sphincter normally stays closed to prevent leakage and opens when you urinate.
An artificial urinary sphincter contains three components:
Together, these components allow you to control when urine flows from the bladder.
Most of the time, the cuff remains inflated around the urethra, helping prevent urine leakage.
When you need to urinate, you gently squeeze the pump located in the scrotum. This temporarily deflates the cuff and allows urine to pass through the urethra.
After several minutes, the cuff automatically refills and closes the urethra again, helping maintain continence until the next time you urinate.
The process becomes routine for most people after recovery and proper instruction.
Artificial urinary sphincters are most commonly used to treat moderate to severe stress urinary incontinence in men.
You may be a candidate if you experience:
Many men who undergo prostate cancer treatment develop stress urinary incontinence due to changes in the muscles and structures that help control urine flow.
Artificial urinary sphincters have been used successfully for decades and remain one of the most effective treatments for severe male stress urinary incontinence.
Potential benefits include:
Many people report significant improvement in their ability to participate in work, exercise, travel, and other activities.
Artificial urinary sphincter implantation is performed as an outpatient or short-stay surgical procedure. Following surgery, your body needs time to heal before the device is activated. In most cases, activation occurs several weeks after implantation during a follow-up visit.
Once activated, we will teach you how to operate the device properly. Most people adjust well.
Urinary incontinence is common, but that does not mean you have to live with it.
If bladder leakage continues to affect your daily activities, relationships, confidence, or quality of life, it may be time to explore additional treatment options.
Dr. Chung can evaluate the cause of your symptoms and determine whether an artificial urinary sphincter or another treatment may be appropriate for your needs.
If you are struggling with urinary incontinence, call the office or schedule an online evaluation to learn more about your treatment options.
