My husband, age 68, has been incontinent since he had an RRP in 2002. The condition appears to be worsening, and he is ready to consider possible surgical options to correct the problem. He does not relish the idea of an artificial sphincter, but that is the only option his urologist has offered. My husband has, primarily, stress incontinence. He urinates many times a day and usually a couple of times during the night. He seldom--if ever--has the problem of feeling an urgent need to get to the bathroom. His urologist prescribed VESIcare, but it did not seem to help. He is having a great deal of irritation, redness, and sometimes a rash on the scrotum from leakage. He wears Depend/Male Guard pads, and has even tried using washcloths between the pad and his undershorts, but this made the problem worse.
We have heard of InVance and AdVance male slings, but do not know much about them, nor do we know of a urologist in this area that has experience with this. His urologist has only implanted a few of the artificial sphincters.
So, my questions are:
1. What are the pros and cons of the male slings and artificial sphincter?
2. Can you recommend a specialist who has a lot of experience--and success--with these methods in the Dallas/Fort Worth/Tyler/East Texas area?
Thanks!