[Treatment of male urinary incontinence by artificial urinary sphincter with intracavernous cuff].

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this study are to describe the implantation technique of an artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) with intracavernous cuff, define the indications and report the preliminary results of this technique.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

A single-centre retrospective study was carried out in 10 patients with a median age of 66 years. The aetiology of urinary incontinence was radical prostatectomy alone in four cases, combined with radiotherapy in four cases and transurethral resection of the prostate in two cases. The initial treatment consisted of AUS in seven cases and suburethral tape in two cases and the last patient had not been previously treated. Failure of AUS was due to atrophy in three cases and urethral erosion in four cases. Six patients needed to use more than three pads per day. Erections were absent in all patients. All patients were treated by insertion of an intracavernous cuff according to the same technique: perineoscrotal incision on the median raphe, dissection of the bulbar urethra and inferior aspect of the corpora cavernosa, vertical incision of the tunica albuginea on either side of the urethra, passage of the cuff from one incision to the other behind the tunica albuginea and leaving the tunica albuginea against the urethra, and closure of the tunica albuginea by interrupted sutures leaving a passage for the cuff. The median follow-up was 15.5 months.

RESULTS

The median operating time was 90 min. No intraoperative complication was observed. Two patients had to be explanted because of infection of the material. Seven of the remaining eight patients were satisfied and six of them needed less than one pad per day. A history pelvic irradiation did not appear to have any impact on the results.

CONCLUSION

The treatment of male urinary incontinence by artificial urinary sphincter with intracavernous cuff is a simple technique that improves the trophicity and calibre of the urethra underneath the cuff. This technique achieved good results in patients with a history of pelvic irradiation.