Male Urinary Incontinence
Male urinary incontinence is a problem that affects adults, mainly those over 60 years of
age. However, younger men may also suffer from this condition, which alters their quality of life
and reduces their self-esteem and self-confidence.
Urinary incontinence in men is one of the possible side effects or Radical
Prostatectomy.
There is a safe and definitive solution: Argus, the sling for incontinence treatment.
What is the Urinary Incontinence?
It is involuntary urine loss due to an inability to control urination (urine excretion).
Incontinence may vary from an occasional leakage to a total inability to retain any amount of
urine.
There are three main types of urinary incontinence:
 Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI): This is the involuntary loss of urine occurring
as a consequence of abdominal pressure during a physical activity such as
coughing, sneezing, laughing or exercising.
 Urge Urinary Incontinence: Associated with an urgent and sudden need to urinate
followed by an instantaneous contraction and involuntary urine leak. It does not
give you enough time between the moment you first feel the need to urinate and
the moment you pass urine.
 Overflow Incontinence: This occurs when the bladder is full but cannot be
emptied, which causes urine leak. Symptoms are small and frequent amounts of
urination and constant dribbling of urine.
What are the symptoms?
Men with mild incontinence will experience light urine leakage when coughing or
laughing, while those with advanced incontinence will experience continuous urine losses.
Urinary incontinence limits a man's way of life and causes feelings of fear and shame. It
is common for men suffering from incontinence to avoid social activities due to their fear to
experience urine loss in public. Sports activities also arouse anxiety because it is during
physical effort when urine loss is more likely to occur
How is it diagnosed?
To know if you suffer from urinary incontinence you should consult a specialist. A
diagnosis made by your physician is the first step to solve the problem of incontinence.
Probably, the first thing your physician will do is to prepare a detailed medical history
that includes surgeries, allergies, medicines you normally take, etc. It will be also very useful
that you tell your physician how much liquid you normally drink and if you drink alcohol or
coffee.
Your physician may ask you to keep a Habits Diary where you will record the amount of
liquid drunk, the number of times you go to the toilet and if you experience any episode of urine
loss. This information will be very helpful for your physician.
To make a diagnosis and confirm if there is prostate enlargement or nerve damage,
your physician will also perform a physical examination.
Some complementary studies may be also necessary, such as: urodynamic evaluation,
electroencephalogram, electromyogram, ultrasound and sonography.
Causes of Stress Urinary Incontinence?
Prostate problems and treatments used to solve them are the most frequent causes of
male urinary incontinence.
The two most common conditions are Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate
cancer, which is generally treated with surgery. Early diagnosis is the key to a successful
treatment. Doctors recommend that men over 50 years old have annual examinations;
however, men with a family history of prostate cancer should begin these medical check-ups at
the age of 40.
Many men have temporary incontinence after prostate cancer surgery. The degree and
severity of incontinence varies for each man. It is recommended to wait some time before
treating incontinence because continence is likely to return naturally.
However, in many cases, the incontinence problem persists and it becomes necessary
to consult a professional to evaluate the treatment options.
Male incontinence may be also caused by other medical conditions, including
neurological diseases (Parkinson's disease, blows to or lesions in the vertebral column), some
types of surgery, and certain congenital defects or chronic diseases such as diabetes.
What are the treatment options?
Treatments vary according to the severity of your incontinence problem, your life style and
the preferences of each person.
Your doctor is the one who will help you choose the best treatment alternative.
There are different treatment options:
Non surgical treatments
Non-surgical treatments include a variety of options, from medicines to changes in
eating habits. These alternatives may be useful in cases of mild and even moderate
incontinence.
 Change of Habits: Your doctor may ask you to stop smoking if you do smoke, and
to make changes in your diet such as avoiding coffee and alcoholic beverages.
Changes of behavior may also include: a reduction in the amount of fluid intake,
weight loss and avoiding movements that produce larger urine leaks.
 Physiotherapy: Among different possible options, the most well-known are: Kegel
Exercises: these consist of clenching the pelvic muscles for ten seconds and then
unclenching them for 10 seconds, repeating the process 10 times. It is
recommended to do these exercises 3 times a day.
 Medication: this alternative tends to work in cases of mild stress urine
incontinence. Generally, these medications block the bladder contractions or help
to increase sphincter strength.
Traditional Surgeries
Traditional surgeries are an alternative to solve the problem of incontinence that have
the disadvantage of usually being complex procedures with a long post-operative
recovery period.
Besides, they generally require the person to handle some type of device when they
need to urinate, with the resulting inconvenience.
Artificial Sphincter: This surgery is performed under general or spinal anesthesia and
it consists in the implantation of a device that is manually operated when the person
wants to urinate. The act of compressing or squeezing a pump allows the sphincter to
relax and allow the person to urinate. The pumping mechanism is placed in the scrotum.
Minimally Invasive Surgery: ARGUS
Unlike other options, Argus is a very short and minimally invasive procedure. It is
generally performed under rachideal anesthesia. Generally, no hospitalization is required and
the patient may return home on the same day. No large incisions are necessary, so there are
practically no scars left.
One characteristic that makes Argus different is that it restores the body's anatomical
functions, that is, it does naturally what the body used to do and can no longer do.
Unlike other options, such as the artificial sphincter, it is not necessary for the person to
operate any mechanism when they want to urinate. Your life will go back to what it used to be
before incontinence since you will not feel the presence of Argus in your body.