Urinary Sphincter Prosthesis May Replace Sphincterotomy in Spinal Cord-Injured Patients

Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital have recently completed a five-year study of an intraurethral stent prosthesis. This FDA-approved device has shown potential as a new treatment alternative for spinal cord-injured men with detrusor-external sphincter dyssynergia (DESD).

DESD is a disturbance of the normal relationship between bladder contraction and sphincter relaxation during voluntary or involuntary urination. The stent eliminates the recurrence of urethral strictures, allowing for catheterization and cytoscopy.

"The intraurethral stent is one of the most promising breakthroughs for men with this type of bladder dysfunction," explains Michael B. Chancellor, MD, Assistant Professor of Urology at Jefferson Medical College and Director of Neuro-urology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. "We are encouraged by the positive results we have received and view the new procedure as an effective, low-risk treatment for DESD."

Jefferson is one of a few centers on the East Coast using this promising intraurethral stent.
Each year there are nearly 10,000 new, spinal cord-injured patients in the United States, 82 percent of whom are men. Many of the patients with complete spinal cord injury have resulting bladder dysfunction with DESD.