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Post-prostatectomy incontinence

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Summary

  • - Urinary continence is maintained by the smooth-muscled system of the “internal sphincter”.

  • - The striated external sphincter is not primarily responsible for continence.

  • - One of the chief functions of the external sphincter is the initiation of voluntary micturition. Its other functions are: random interruption of the urinary stream, reflex control during an increase in intra-abdominal pressure (such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting) complete emptying of the urethra after micturition and stabilization of the posterior urethra in the urogenital diaphragm.

  • - After prostatectomy an intact external sphincter is important in order to support the smooth-muscled system which continues to be primarily responsible for continence to function as efficiently as possible.

  • - In approximately 90% of all postprostatectomy incontinences the external sphincter is intact and this cames a good prognosis following our correcture surgery without the need for prostheses.

  • - Only in rare post-prostatectomy incontinence cases (approx. 10%) is the external sphincter also injured. Incontinence surgery according to our method has not been satisfactory in these cases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Urologische Universitätsklinik, Universitätsspital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland

    D. Hauri

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  1. D. Hauri
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Hauri, D. Post-prostatectomy incontinence. Urol. Res. 6, 113–118 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00261310

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