Treatment of neurogenic stress urinary incontinence using an adjustable continence device: 4-year followup

Abstract

Purpose: We evaluated the long-term safety and efficacy of an adjustable continence device (ACT® or ProACT™) in male and female patients with neurogenic stress urinary incontinence.

Materials and methods: Data on patients consecutively treated with implantation of an adjustable continence device due to neurogenic stress urinary incontinence were reviewed from the start of our experience to the current 4-year followup.

Results: We reviewed data on 13 male and 24 female patients with neurogenic stress urinary incontinence due to different forms of pelvic nerve or spinal cord lesions. Mean ± SD age at implantation was 46.2 ± 17.4 years. Of the patients 92% performed clean intermittent self-catheterization. The device was implanted bilaterally using general and local anesthesia in 16.2% and 83.8% of cases, respectively. From before implantation to 48-month followup the mean number of urinary incontinence episodes decreased from 6.1 ± 2.4 to 2.8 ± 3.1 and the mean number of pads used per 24 hours decreased from 4.2 ± 2.7 to 2.2 ± 2.2. Of the patients 54.5% indicated more than 50% improvement of stress urinary incontinence symptoms after 48 months, of whom 38.9% indicated complete continence. Adverse events included erosion/migration, device infection or failure, implantation site pain, bladder stone formation and difficult clean intermittent self-catheterization.

Conclusions: Implantation of the ProACT/ACT device in patients with neurogenic stress urinary incontinence is minimally invasive and safe. It can significantly improve neurogenic stress urinary incontinence in the long term. Thus, it might be a reasonable option for patients who are not willing, not suitable or not yet ready for more invasive surgery, such as artificial urinary sphincter or fascial suspension sling placement.