Patient Satisfaction After Dual Implantation of Inflatable Penile and Artificial Urinary Sphincter Prostheses

Abstract

Since description of the transverse scrotal approach for artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) placement, simultaneous implantation of an inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) and AUS through a single incision has been shown to constitute safe, efficient, and cost-effective treatment for men plagued by both erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence. We present patient satisfaction outcomes after simultaneous dual implantation (DI) of an IPP and AUS. We compared outcomes of postprostatectomy patients who underwent DI to those receiving IPP or AUS alone from 2001 to 2006. Telephone interviews using a standard questionnaire were conducted to evaluate prosthetic functionality, ease of use, and patient satisfaction. A total of 95 men were evaluated (31 for IPP alone, 31 for AUS alone, and 33 for DI). Daily pad usage decreased from 4.6 to 0.8 pads per day with AUS alone and 6.1 to 1.3 pads per day with DI. Patients were similarly satisfied with IPP rigidity during inflation and flaccidity during inactivation in both IPP and DI groups (4.1 to 4.4 for rigidity and 3.9 for flaccidity [1 = "unhappy" and 5 = "happy"]). Ease of scrotal pump operation was similar in all groups, as was overall prosthetic satisfaction. Most patients stated that they would recommend the DI procedure to a friend or relative (87% to 94%) or have the procedure done again (77% to 94%). Dual implantation produces encouraging outcomes in patient satisfaction, ease of use and functionality that are similar to those found after placement of either IPP or AUS alone.