Coaptite didn't work, Urological Studies Next

Hey Guys,
I met with the Urologist yesterday. We discussed my options on what I thought would be a slam
dunk Artificial Urinary Sphincter. He said we need to do a cystoscope and some urinary pressure studies 1st.
He said I am in the gray area for a Sling or an AUS. He told me at my age I would be looking at about 2 more
revisions of the AUS.
The urologist in his office that referred me to him has given up on the sling. The new guy believes they are
good for the correct person. So we'll do the studies to see.
Cystoscopy Friday and other studies in the next 2 weeks.
Thanks for your observasions.
Jess

Jess, with your level of incontinence (100-200ml per day), I'm not sure why a sling is out of the question. I didn't get a sling myself but only because it probably wouldn't help get me totally dry (400-500 ml of leakage per day). Big Mac is right that a cystoscopy is normal for an AUS (and sling too presumably) and maybe that procedure will shed light on the reasons you're still leaking. I hope some of the guys on this forum who got the sling will chime in with their experiences with it; so that you have some more information to work with.

I've had my AUS for only a few months; so I can't speak from experience about the need for revisions down the road. I do know that some fellows here on the forum have had revisions but I can't recall the circumstances which dictated getting the revisions. I just remember the same "useful life" time period that Big Mac cited: 10-15 years. But as the commercials say: "mileage may vary."

Choosing an option to get drier isn't an easy task - one has to gather and sift through a lot of information. If you're not satisfied from what you're hearing from your doctor or urologist, then you always have the choice of getting a second opinion from another doctor or urologist. I wish you the best in making a choice that's the most appropriate for you.

Mike

Hey guys,
Thanks for the responses. My newest urologist does all the slings and AUS's for his group practice with
6 other Urologists. He has been doing them for 15 years.
His point on the sling was that the testing needs to be done correctly to pick the correct subset of sling patients and that he has had excellent results. I just thought that the sling wasn't a very good option after
discussing it with his partner that did my robotic prostatectomy. He says if the pressures are right, a sling is
a good fit.
I'll find out his recommendations after the cystoscopy and the urological testing to be scheduled in a couple
of weeks and I will keep you posted.
Maybe his 2 revisions are the worst case scenario. He said it is hard to know how is going to have problems
with urethral atrophy.
Thanks for all your thoughts,
Jess