Adjustable perineal male sling using tissue expander as an effective treatment of post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence.

PURPOSE: To report our intermediate experience in treating patients with severe incontinence using an adjustable perineal male sling with a tissue expander.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: An adjustable male sling procedure was performed on 21 patients with severe incontinence. The underlying etiology of urinary incontinence was radical prostatectomy in 13 patients, open prostatectomy in 5 patients and transurethral prostate resection in 3 patients. The difference between the classical and the adjustable sling is that in the latter there is a 25 mL tissue expander between the two layers of polypropylene mesh with an injection port. Adjustment of the sling was performed with saline via an inflation port, in case of recurrence or persistence of incontinence.

RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 66.2 ± 7.3 (50-79) years and mean pad usage was 6.4 ± 0.6 per day. The mean follow-up time was 40.1 ± 23.2 (6-74) months. The balloon was postoperatively inflated on average with 11.6 ± 5.7 (5-25) mL. After the mean 40.1 months of follow-up, 16 of the 21 patients (76.2%) were dry (11 patients, 0 pads; 5 patients using safety pads), 3 patients (14%) had mild and 2 (9.8%) had moderate degree post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence (PPI). The average maximum urine flow rate of the patients was 15.6 ± 4.7 (10-31) mL/s. No residual urine was found. In 2 patients, all parts of the device were removed due to infection and discomfort, and in 3 patients only the inflation component was removed due to local scrotal infection.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that using an adjustable perineal male sling with a tissue expander seems to be an efficient, and safe surgical treatment option in patients with PPI.