Artificial urinary sphincter: 11-year experience in adolescents with congenital neuropathic bladder

OBJECTIVE: We assess our experience over the last 11 years in the use of an artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) to treat urinary incontinence in children with neuropathic bladders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1994 and 2005 an AUS was implanted in 35 patients (mean age 14.4; range 11.5-18). Upper urinary tract (UUT) evaluations and urodynamic studies were performed in all patients pre- and post-AUS implantation. Thirteen patients underwent enterocystoplasty combined with AUS placement and 22 underwent AUS implantation alone. RESULTS: An AUS was implanted in 35 patients. Mean follow-up is 5.5 years (range 0.4-11 years). Nine mechanical malfunctions occurred in seven patients (20%). Of the 22 patients who underwent AUS implantation alone, seven (31.2%) eventually required an enterocystoplasty because of unexpected bladder behaviour changes, usually within three years of AUS implantation. In seven patients (20%), a continent catheterisable stoma was made (before or during the follow-up) because of problems with clean intermittent catheterisation (CIC) through the urethra. Three AUS (8.6%) were removed because of sphincter erosion at the bladder neck. All 32 patients (91.4%) with the AUS currently in place are dry, three void their bladders spontaneously, and 29 need CIC. CONCLUSIONS: AUS must be considered as an elective treatment in the surgical management of these patients because it produces better continence rates than other methods. However, these patients need long-term follow-up because their bladder behaviour may undergo unexpected clinically asymptomatic changes that could negatively affect their UUT and require bladder augmentation.