Artificial urinary sphincter
An artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) is an implanted device to treat moderate to severe stress urinary incontinence, most commonly in men. The AUS is designed to supplement the function of the natural urinary sphincter that restricts urine flow out of the bladder. Description There are two types of artificial urinary sphincters: The artificial urinary sphincter with a balloon reservoir (3-component): cuff, pump and balloon. The cuff is placed around the urethra; the pump is inserted in the scrotum and the balloon reservoir is implanted in the retropubic space – between bladder and iliac vein. The pressure in the hydraulic circuit is generated by the elastic balloon reservoir and from retropubic pressure. The artificial urinary sphincter with a spring (2-component): cuff and pump unit. The cuff is placed around the urethra and the pump unit is inserted in the scrotum. The pressure in the hydraulic circuit is generated by the spring of the pump unit. The pressure in the retropubic space does not have any influence for this type of sphincter. The common theme among currently available designs is a mechanical constriction mechanism – an inflatable cuff filled with sterile saline solution and placed around the urethra which keeps the urethral