How to Improve Urinary Incontinence With a Penile Implant

Many men who experience prostate cancer may also experience some form of urinary incontinence as a result of treatment¹. This is most common in men who must undergo a prostatectomy (removal of the prostate)². The prostate is part of the proximal urethral unit, which allows individuals to control their bladder³. With this gone, men may experience a loss of control of the remaining parts of the sphincter unit. Although these treatments are often lifesaving, urinary incontinence can be a debilitating side effect of this.

What is urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is defined as the inability to completely control your bladder⁴. People experience this in a range of different severities, from mild to extremely severe. Regardless of how bad it is, urinary incontinence can have debilitating effects on your day-to-day life. It also often occurs in conjunction with erectile dysfunction, as the two conditions have very similar causes⁵.

Although urinary incontinence can have a significant impact on your life, the good news is that you don’t necessarily have to live with the symptoms. There is a range of different medical treatments and procedures that are designed to improve bladder control, including a penile implant.

How does a penile implant help to cure urinary incontinence?

A penile implant is inserted into the penis. The patient is then able to manually inflate it, anywhere from 30% to fully rigid. When inflated, the penile implant increases the pressure on the bulbar urethral closing⁶. It is this pressure that prevents any urine from leaking out at inappropriate times.

The amount that the penile implant must be inflated is going to depend on the severity of the incontinence/damage to the sphincter. Men who experience moderate incontinence will only need to partially inflate it to see results. Men who have more severe symptoms may need to fully inflate the implant, putting the maximum amount of pressure on the urethra to prevent leakage. Regardless, this method has a 72% success rate of controlling urinary incontinence in men after a prostatectomy⁷.

A penile implant is unlikely to work for all men who experience urinary incontinence, but it has been shown to be successful in a wide variety of patients. This form of treatment is very common in men who also experience some form of erectile dysfunction, as the implant can also help to reduce unwanted symptoms of that condition at the same time⁸.

Is this the right treatment plan for me?

Penile Implants are generally only considered for men who have been experiencing urinary incontinence for extended periods of time. This is a very common symptom of surgery after prosate cancer, but in many cases, it will go away on it’s own. A penile implant surgery is generally only considered after approximately two years of urinary incontinence, with no improvements⁹.

Penile implants are unlikely to reduce incontinence in men that experience total sphincteral incontinence (very severe incontinence)¹⁰. In cases like this, patients may need to undergo a minor surgical procedure to implant an artificial urinary sphincter. This device helps patients to regain control of their sphincter muscles allowing them to close and work as regular sphincters do. These are seen as the gold standard for fixing urinary incontinence in men¹¹.

For most men who suffer from incontinence but not any type of erectile dysfunction, it is unlikely that they would be considered a good candidate for a penile implant. There are however other available solutions, that you can discuss with your healthcare provider. Depending on the severity of your case your treatment plan may require surgery, or it may involve making certain lifestyle changes to help you better control your bodily functions¹².

How do I get a penile implant to control my urinary incontinence?

If you believe that you would benefit from a penile implant, your first step is to consult your doctor. They will assess your condition, and help you to find a solution that is likely to work. If they agree you are a good candidate, they can help you begin the procedure of getting implant surgery.

How to Improve Urinary Incontinence With a Penile Implant

What is urinary incontinence?

How does a penile implant help to cure urinary incontinence?

Is this the right treatment plan for me?

How do I get a penile implant to control my urinary incontinence?

Endnotes