Victo+ Artificial Urinary Sphincter, looking for experience.

Hello Mr. Blue,

Welcome to the forum. Hope we can help.

All of the men with artificial sphincters who I know of on this forum have devices manufactured by a different company. As far as I know we all have AMS 800 model sphincters which are mostly similar to the Victo artificial sphincter but lacking the useful-sounding pressure adjustment feature. The Victo+ has yet one more feature that sounds promising which is the second bulb that adjusts the cuff pressure based on intra-abdominal pressure (so if you strain to pick up a heavy object the cuff automagically tightens.)

Everything I know about the Victo I have learned from their various websites since I read your question so it's mostly from their fliers. The Victo (made by a company headquartered in Scotland) sounds like a better version of the (US made) AMS device. But I have no first hand experience.

I am guardedly happy with my AMS 800. Artificial urinary sphincters don't generally work as well for men who have had radiation in addition to prostate surgery and I still leak somewhat despite mine. But I leak much less than I did so it has helped a great deal even though it didn't solve the problem completely.

I assume the surgery for the Victo is similar to that for the AMS device (they look quite similar) and, if so, recovery isn't that difficult.

We have other guys where with artificial sphincters (although all I know of are AMS) and I expect they will pop in directly to say hello.

Blue, welcome to HW.

Victo+ is a new one to me. Hopefully someone here has some experience for you.

Do let us know what you find out about.

Andrew

BB, your thread title meant nothing to me so I'd skipped over it until now. I thought it was going to be about a cancer "victory" story. Maybe if you start another thread which includes the words "artificial sphincter" it would attract more responses.

My AMS800 was implanted and activated a year ago, nearly a year after my RP, because I needed to hold enough urine every day to undergo adjuvant radiation. It became a race against time. My RO said that most continence recovery occurs in the first nine months post-op so he started ADT to get me through the recovery period. During that time I went thru PT with a Kegel coach, but was still using 8-12 pads a day.

The AMS800 has been around for about 25 years and I did a lot of research beforehand. It was one of the more stressful decisions of my life, as it not only held the next stage of my treatment at bay, but would change the way I would do something that I do all day, every day for the rest of my life. I've had over a dozen other surgeries, so it wasn't the surgery that scared me. It was the pressure.

The procedure was nothing like what the doctor had promised me and was everything he said it would not be. I ended up with a foley catheter for a few more weeks and then the device was replaced. The revision surgery left me with nerve pain in my left thigh. The device leaks... I use two pads daily and sleep with a dry washcloth in my crotch.

Still, life with the device is far better than it was beforehand... there's no doubt about that. I'm only telling you about the difficulties I experienced just so you don't go into this thinking that everything always goes just peachy for everyone. There are statistics, and when YOU are one of the "small percentage" that has a problem, it becomes VERY personal.

Hi bagger, where did you have this fitted, how is everything with it?

I have been incontinent for 3 years, had scar tissue problems all OK now, three times your pad useage, being in Canada the wait time is awful and will be willing to pay out of pocket for treatment.

Thanks.

My leaking slowed down at 6 to 9 months to 1 full pad or 2 light pads so I done the sling and it was so tight I couldn't hardly pee so doc went in through the penis and loosened and dilated me then 2 weeks later the sling slipped then I started leaking worse than I ever had so I went to the new DOC in Nashville he had to put the sling further back so it only helps sitting and laying down at work standing up 4 to 5 pads so now I'm like did I get worst from the dilation and do I get the AUS?