Sphincters are muscles that allow your body to hold in urine. An inflatable artificial (human-made) sphincter is a medical device that keeps urine from leaking when your urinary sphincter no longer works well. When you need to urinate, the cuff of the artificial sphincter can be relaxed so urine can flow out.
See also:
Artificial sphincter (AUS) - urinary
DescriptionYou will have either general anesthesia or spinal anesthesia before the procedure. With general anesthesia, you will be unconscious and will not feel pain. With spinal anesthesia, you will be awake but numb from the waist down, and you will not feel pain.
An artificial sphincter has three parts:
A surgical cut (incision) will be made in one of these areas so that the cuff can be put in place:
Once the artificial sphincter is in place, you will use the pump to empty (deflate) and fill (inflate) the cuff. Squeezing the pump moves fluid from the cuff to the balloon. When the cuff is empty, your urethra opens so that you can urinate. The cuff will re-inflate on its own in 90 seconds.
Why the Procedure Is PerformedArtificial sphincter surgery is done to treat stress incontinence, a leakage of urine that occurs with activities such as walking, lifting, exercising, or even coughing or sneezing.
The procedure is recommended for men who have urine leakage after prostate surgery.
Women who have urine leakage usually try other treatment options before having an artificial sphincter placed.
Most of the time, your doctor will recommend drugs and bladder retraining before surgery.
RisksThis procedure is generally safe. Ask your doctor about these possible complications.
Risks for any surgery are:
Risks for this surgery may include:
Always tell your doctor or nurse what drugs you are taking, including over-the-counter medications, herbs and supplements that you buy without a prescription.
During the days before the surgery:
On the day of your surgery:
Your doctor will test your urine to make sure you do not have a urinary infection before starting your surgery.
After the ProcedureYou may return from surgery with a catheter in place. This catheter will drain urine from your bladder for a little while. It will be removed before you leave the hospital.
You will not be using the artificial sphincter for a while after surgery. This means you will still have urine leakage. Your body tissues need this time to heal.
About 6 weeks after surgery, you will be taught how to use your pump to inflate your artificial sphincter.
You will need to carry a wallet card or wear medical identification that tells health care providers you have an artificial sphincter. The artificial sphincter must be turned off if you need to have a urinary catheter placed.
Women may need to change how they do some activities (such as bicycle riding), since the pump is placed in the labia.
Outlook (Prognosis)Urinary leakage decreases for many people who have this procedure. But you may still have some leakage. Over time, some or all of the leakage may come back.
There may be a slow erosion (wearing away) of the urethral tissue under the cuff, and this tissue may become spongy. This may make the device less effective.
A new artificial sphincter can help control leakage.
ReferencesStaskin DR, Comiter CV. Surgical treatment of male sphincteric urinary incontinence: the male perineal sling and artificial urinary sphincter. Wein AJ, Kavoussi LR, Novick AC, Partin AW, Peters CA, eds. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 74.
Sphincters are muscles that allow your body to hold in urine. An inflatable artificial (human-made) sphincter is a medical device that keeps urine from leaking when your urinary sphincter no longer works well. When you need to urinate, the cuff of the artificial sphincter can be relaxed so urine can flow out.
See also:
Artificial sphincter (AUS) - urinary
DescriptionYou will have either general anesthesia or spinal anesthesia before the procedure. With general anesthesia, you will be unconscious and will not feel pain. With spinal anesthesia, you will be awake but numb from the waist down, and you will not feel pain.
An artificial sphincter has three parts:
A surgical cut (incision) will be made in one of these areas so that the cuff can be put in place:
Once the artificial sphincter is in place, you will use the pump to empty (deflate) and fill (inflate) the cuff. Squeezing the pump moves fluid from the cuff to the balloon. When the cuff is empty, your urethra opens so that you can urinate. The cuff will re-inflate on its own in 90 seconds.
Why the Procedure Is PerformedArtificial sphincter surgery is done to treat stress incontinence, a leakage of urine that occurs with activities such as walking, lifting, exercising, or even coughing or sneezing.
The procedure is recommended for men who have urine leakage after prostate surgery.
Women who have urine leakage usually try other treatment options before having an artificial sphincter placed.
Most of the time, your doctor will recommend drugs and bladder retraining before surgery.
RisksThis procedure is generally safe. Ask your doctor about these possible complications.
Risks for any surgery are:
Risks for this surgery may include:
Always tell your doctor or nurse what drugs you are taking, including over-the-counter medications, herbs and supplements that you buy without a prescription.
During the days before the surgery:
On the day of your surgery:
Your doctor will test your urine to make sure you do not have a urinary infection before starting your surgery.
After the ProcedureYou may return from surgery with a catheter in place. This catheter will drain urine from your bladder for a little while. It will be removed before you leave the hospital.
You will not be using the artificial sphincter for a while after surgery. This means you will still have urine leakage. Your body tissues need this time to heal.
About 6 weeks after surgery, you will be taught how to use your pump to inflate your artificial sphincter.
You will need to carry a wallet card or wear medical identification that tells health care providers you have an artificial sphincter. The artificial sphincter must be turned off if you need to have a urinary catheter placed.
Women may need to change how they do some activities (such as bicycle riding), since the pump is placed in the labia.
Outlook (Prognosis)Urinary leakage decreases for many people who have this procedure. But you may still have some leakage. Over time, some or all of the leakage may come back.
There may be a slow erosion (wearing away) of the urethral tissue under the cuff, and this tissue may become spongy. This may make the device less effective.
A new artificial sphincter can help control leakage.
ReferencesStaskin DR, Comiter CV. Surgical treatment of male sphincteric urinary incontinence: the male perineal sling and artificial urinary sphincter. Wein AJ, Kavoussi LR, Novick AC, Partin AW, Peters CA, eds. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 74.
Reviewed ByReview Date: 06/17/2010
David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., and Scott Miller, MD, Urologist in private practice in Atlanta, Georgia.
Artificial sphincter insertion surgery is the implantation of an artificial valve in the genitourinary tract or in the anal canal to restore continence and psychological well being to individuals with urinary or anal sphincter insufficiency.
This procedure is useful for adults and children who have severe incontinence due to lack of muscle contraction by either the urethral sphincter or the bowel sphincter.
For males: There is a deactivation button (switch) at the top end of the pump. The pump is located in the scrotum. If the person is right handed, the pump will be located near the right testicle. FYI: If an artificial urinary sphincter fails, it will fail in the "open" position. Tom
Mine cost about 70000 almost 40000 for the apparatus.
Normal anatomyUrinary continence is maintained by a muscular sphincter that surrounds the urethra as it exits the bladder.Procedure, part 1An artificial urinary sphincter is used to treat stress incontinence in men that is caused by urethral dysfunction such as after prostate surgery. Additionally this procedure may be performed in men and women with sphincter dysfunction related to spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis. Most experts advise their patients to try medication and bladder retraining therapy first before resorting to this treatment. Alternatives to this procedure are the pubovaginal sling in women or the periurethral injection of collagen in men and women.Procedure, part 2An artificial sphincter consists of three parts:a cuff that fits around the bladder necka pressure regulating balloona pump that inflates the cuff.To treat urinary incontinence, the cuff is placed around the bladder neck so that when it is inflated, the urethra will close tightly. The pressure regulating balloon will be placed under the tissues of the lower abdomen. The balloon is filled with a liquid (occasionally, an iodine-based solution will be used so that it will be visualized when x-ray procedures are performed). The control pump mechanism is placed in the labia for women, and in the scrotum for men. To use the sphincter, the person will compress (squeeze) the pump to divert fluid from the urethral cuff to the balloon. This action will allow the sphincter to relax so that the person can urinate. The cuff will then re-inflate on its own in 3 to 5 minutes .Procedure, part 3When inflated, the cuff constricts the urethra and blocks passage of any urine. When deflated, the cuff reduces pressure on the urethra and allows for free passage of urine.AftercareIf you had an artificial urinary sphincter placed, you will return from surgery with a foley catheter in place, which will be remove prior to discharge. The artificial sphincter cuff will be not be inflated immediately after surgery to allow the tissues to heal. About 6 weeks after surgery you will be taught how to activate your pump to inflate the artificial sphincter.Reviewed ByReview Date: 06/17/2010David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., and Scott Miller, MD, Urologist in private practice in Atlanta, Georgia.
outer anal sphincter
What is the function of the cardiac sphincter?
cricopharyngeal sphincter
ileocecal sphincter (valve)
cardiac sphincter; or gastroesophageal sphincter; or lower esophageal sphincter (LES); or esophageal sphincter from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardia
The pyloric sphincter regulates passage of chymefrom the stomach
Sphincter of Oddi.