Male Sling System

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I am an 81 yr. old male and had radical prostatectomy, radiation, and hormone therapy approx 6 years ago. I had zero leakage for two years after surgery then the nightmare began. Bladder bleeding, numerous times of catheters due to blood clots, many ER visits and so on. Short story is no more bleeding but still use 5-6 pads per day. I saw a PT for a period of time, did kegels, but not religiously due to pain, without seeing any improvement. I came across an advertisement for "AdVance XP Male Sling System" and am curious if anyone has had any experience with this system in particular or anything like it. I guess my real question is whether it would work with someone with the kind of leakage I have.

Any and all input is always appreciated.

Thanks

Jim Roberts

 

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Please see my recent posts - positive experience with the Boston Scientific sling. However, I understand they don’t recommend for patients that have had radiation. Wishing you all the best!

 

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Thanks danznman, I hadn't thought about the radiation. I know that makes subsequent surgeries more difficult if not impossible.

 

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An artificial urinary sphincter is the device typically suggested for men who have been irradiated. You need to have decent dexterity to handle the pump in the scrotum. A number of men on this site have had good experiences with this device.
Good luck!

 

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I had RP and later hormone treatment and radiation of prostate bed and pelvic lymph nodes. Later had the Boston a scientific male sling with 100% success. Have posted about this previously.
My surgeon/ urologist says they do the clinical trials using subjects who have not had radiation and thus the recommendation only for those who have not had it. It depends on the individual circumstances, but mine worked great and it’s a lot less invasive than the AUS.

 

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harrisjmh, thanks for the reply. If you don't mind would you tell me how severe your leakage was prior to the sling. As I previously stated, i use 5-6 pads per day. I have almost no leakage at night.

Thanks again for your input.

 

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I only used 1 pad per day. Initially after RP a heavy pad, then after a few months a light pad. My leakage gradually got better after my RP in Aug 2018 with the help of exercises and a good PT. After radiation in Feb- Mar 2020 ( 40 treatments) it got worse again and gradually got better with exercises and time again, but never completely stopped. I had the sling surgery in Nov 2021. Go to a good urologist/ surgeon - one who is not anxious to do surgery, but offers you the best solution and has good reasons for that solution verses other ones. Read about all the options and the pluses and minus’s. I believe one can do AUS after a sling if the sling doesn’t work, but would need to check this out. The sling is not very invasive, but needs to be done correctly with the right amount of tension placed on it with it being measured as it is being done. After researching the sling, I had the surgeon explain to me in painstaking detail how he would do the operation and how he would get the tension correct. They fill your bladder and use a manometer type of system and add tension until they stop the flow with the right amount of bladder pressure. You want enough tension to stop the flow, but not too much that you can’t urinate. It’s an easy operation, but needs to be done correctly and hopefully the surgeon has done several with success.
There are also different types of slings with the corresponding operation done slightly differently. The Boston Scientific one worked well for me.
Every person’s situation is different and needs a good urologist who knows all the options.