Collagen injection for intrinsic sphincteric deficiency in men

Abstract

Purpose: We evaluated the efficacy of collagen injections in the treatment of male urinary incontinence due to intrinsic sphincteric deficiency.

Materials and methods: A total of 88 men (mean age 68 years) with mild to severe intrinsic sphincter deficiency underwent a mean of 3.5 transurethral injections of collagen (mean total volume injected 25 ml.). Patients were subdivided into 2 groups based on use of more than 3 or 3 or fewer pads per day. Patient age, pad use before treatment, duration of leakage, number of injections, volume of collagen used and etiology of incontinence were compared for the 2 groups.

Results: Of the patients 42 became nearly completely dry, 19 had substantial improvement but still required 1 to 3 pads per day, 14 consistently used fewer pads but still more than 3 per day and 13 showed no improvement. Most injections were performed with the patient under local anesthesia and no significant morbidity occurred.

Conclusions: In select patients collagen injections appear to be effective, easy to deliver and safe. Pretreatment incontinence severity, concomitant detrusor abnormalities and etiology of intrinsic sphincteric deficiency other than radical retropubic prostatectomy were associated with a worse response to collagen therapy.