They did a full replacement: balloon, cuff, pump, and all the tubing. My uro said that a cuff-only replacement was possible but with the average replacement running something like 7-10 years, she said that I was close enough to just do the whole thing and the surgery would be about
the same either way. My urethra had atrophied a bit and she put in a slightly smaller cuff and located it a bit more forward than it had been. Also, I asked if I could have the old parts and she said I could. When I came out of recovery they gave me a small specimen jar and in it were the cuff, balloon, pump, and tubing. I'm not sure what I will do with it but it could end up in one of my more abject art projects.
BTW, I was sort of hoping that if I needed a replacement of the AMS800 that it would happen when the new model comes out. Evidently they are working on one that is supposed to be more high tech with an externally adjustable cuff, probably bluetooth enabled. I think the idea is to reduce the constant pressure on the urethra to delay the onset of any atrophy. I read that some guys will deactivate theirs at night when leaking is less of an issue and I did ask my uro about
that. She said that the literature does not support that technique plus that poppet in the pump that locks it
open isn't designed for daily use so it increases the chance of a mechanical failure.
Post Edited (VinceInMT) : 6/16/2024 4:03:39 AM (GMT-8)