Sling vs. Artificial Sphincter

[Skip66]

Met with my urologist this last week and we talked about incontinence and where I am at...I am about 5 months post surgery and use the pads occasionally...I've heard that the artificial sphincter is the best to go with but my Doc is recommending the sling...Any comments or feed back from those that have had either the Sling or the artificial sphincter?

[Tall_Allen]

A sling may be all you need if it is just for some light dribbling. It is a simple, less invasive procedure. If it doesn't work, you can do the AUS.

[beargrey]

I can't speak about the sling, but I'm very happy that I got the AUS.

[andrewc775]

My incontinence was almost total, so I had little option but to go for an AUS. It's a vast improvement on the lack of control I had before, but very prone to leakage depending on my position (eg after rising from a low chair) and it was an absolute nightmare when I had a persistent cold before Christmas - every coughing fit or sneeze would release a spurt of urine

[Homegarden]

I have the AUS because I regained very little control, I was wearing

depends and had to change them several times a day. There is some leakage with the AUS so I now wear a light pad incase, much better than wearing a diaper!

[thudson1965]

I chose the male urethral sling surgery. I was leaking 17 ounces a day - 3 pads and a depend pullup. I have about a quarter of an ounce leaking with the sling at night. I had the surgery 12 months following RALP. It has been 4 months since my sling surgery.

The sling surgery is typically once and done. The AUS has to be redone in 7 to 15 years with most men having problems around the 10 year mark.

I take a stool softener (100 mg twice a day - generic Colace over the counter) and for the first 2 weeks a does of generic Miralax in my morning coffee then half a dose of Miralax for weeks 3-6 to make sure constipation would not cause any problems with the sling.