Artificial sphincter pressure versus detrusor leakage pressure.

Increasing urethral occlusion pressures were created with an artificial sphincter in fresh bladder-urethra specimens of adult pigs. Detrusor leakage pressures remained about 25 per cent below the associated sphincter cuff pressures. The same relation was found when, during abrupt variations of cuff pressure, the detrusor leakage pressures were measured with antegrade urethral perfusion pressure measurement through a new sleeve catheter. Side-hole perfusion pressure measurements showed 100 per cent transmission of abrupt variations of cuff pressures to the inner urethral wall. No rotational differences could be detected. From the results it has been concluded that a probable pressure loss of about 25 per cent must be taken into account when converting artificial sphincter pressures into bladder pressures at which leakage will occur.