Artificial urinary sphincter

I had a AUS installed on February 4,2008 and yesterday i went to the doctor to have it activated.

 

Gene, I concur with your first comment. As I think you know, I'm getting my AUS installed on   April 16 and then having it activated the end of May, just about 4 days before my wife and I go on vacation.  I am sure hoping it goes well. We have already cancelled two vacations in the past year due to my leakage. I want a dry vacation!

You too, Gene!  We'll both be in good shape when this is all over..

Hi All

    Jerry,  I hate to hear another one of us is having long term incontinance problems.  I know all the guys here give us their support but only the few of us can truly understand how this problem affects our daily lives and mental state.  I hope you find a fix one of these days.  I'm watching your journey because I may be right behind you?

   Take care and Good Luck

    KW

Jerry,

Dr. Rucker,

Please continue hanging out!  I do not know of another uro who has jumped in on our posts, although there may have been.  Some of us are very desperate to get over our incontinence (and impotence) and have had little or no success.  Moreover, the lines of communications with our urologists are not always as open as they should be.  I feel confident that most on this forum will respect your privacy and will not overburden you for second-hand diagnoses.   

As for me, my hopes for successful healing took a great big leap at your responses on this and KW's post.  Many of us are so very suspicious of devices being placed in our bodies.  After all, we with continuing incontinence are fearful of having other procedures for fear it may only lead to more severe problems.  So I see your "hanging out" as keeping hopes for future healing alive.  Please stay with us.

Gene 

This is to Eagle 10

Hi to all of you.  I am 89 years young and i am very active and keep busy .  I work with a friend of mine doing woodturning.  I have been doing woodturning for about 40 years and i still enjoy it.  We are now making very decorative segmented bowls and we learn something new ech day.  Woodturners burn their mistakes and you know what doctors do with theirs.  Back to the psa and i would have to  go back quite a ways.  about 14 years ago on a regular check with my primary doctor he discovered a rough spot on my prostate and even though my psa was 2.6 he said i should have it checked.  I did and it was cancerous and i opted for the seed implant.  That all went well until about two years ago i got up in the middle of the night to pee and i couldn't.  I went to the emergency room for a catheter and later saw the doctor who performed the implant.  They gave me every kind if pill made and nothing worked.  This lasted about two months and then he suggested the blue laser treatment.  I think thats what it is called.  The nurses called it the blue light special.  That did not work and after about six weeks i went another urologist recommended to me.  He checked me over you know the cisto and all that good stuff and then tried some other pills.  After going to him for two months he retired and all his patient transferred to a urological group.  The first urologist i had there put me on pill for about a month and when i went back he checked and said i should take these pills and see him in four months.  I went home and decided i had enough of that crap and so i go to one of the other urologists in the group.  Thats who i have now and i have told the story about the rest of the treatment i have had from him.  I was able to get and appoint ment at Mayo and i know i will get some straight answers.

If i had know in the beginning i would have asked a lot more questins. 

It would be very helpful  if the doctor from Florida would give all of us a list of questions to ask before we have this proceedure done.

I'll ba at Mayo on Friday March 21 and i will report when i get home

Thanks for your patience

Sarasotaurologist-  Thank you for jumping in!  I had my prostate removed last June, and since then I have been wearing six to eight pads per day.  I am getting an AMS 800 installed the middle of April.  When I tell people about this they seem to say, "so sorry," but I couldn't be more excited.  I am feeling like Christmas is coming as I am so anxious to be dry again. By the way, I am getting "double cuffed." Am I wrong to be very happy about this? The only odd thing is, I have yet to read about someone getting one of these and turning out in great shape. Actually, I've hardly seen any reports at all, positive or negative.  Maybe when a guy gets fixed he sees no need to continue putting posts on this forum, and he just disappears! 

I have returned from Mayo Clinic in Rochester Mn. and was glad i went to get to see what the problem really is.  I arrived at the clinic at 8 AM on the 21st of March and was assigned a doctor.  I met with him for a while to explain what had been going on.  He explained   that he was the garbage man and was assigned to patients who have severe problems.  After an examination and cystoscope it was decided thet my body was full of infection and the would have to take out the sphincter and flush the area.  This turned out to be a emegency plan because about 9PM they started operating and i got back to my room at midnight.

I am now home and go to the hospital  in my area for I/V antibiotics and this must continue for three weeks and then back to Mayo for examination and hope i am on the right track.  I have a catheter and have to keep that in for two months and then back to Mayo for a checkup.

The doctor i had did just about everything that could go wrong and had i stayed with him iwould have been dead in two months.  With the first aus after it failed   he said it was because the pump broke.  Mayo has been installing AUS since 1972 and have never had a pump break.  I never saw the broken pump so i really don't know. The next AUS was installed after the removal of the the first one.  That was on Feb 4 and at Mayo they said there should should not be another installed until after six months.

I could go on and on about this but i don't want to continue to bore you.

If any of you want any further info please contact me.

gpv2590@sbcglobal.net

Thanks for all your prayers.

Blessingd

Jerryv

Good luck, Jerry! You will be fine, but I'm sorry you've had to endure all of this.

 

cowboybob

Jerry,
You post is heartbreaking, but we continue to support you in every way possible. Mayo is one of the finest establishments world wide and I believe that you are in good hands. You do not bore us. So many have had the same continance issues that your post is invaluable. Stay well and heal that infection so that they can get it righted. I remain hopeful for you and will continue you lending thoughts and prayer for you. God Bless you, and get well.

Tony

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Age 45 (44 when Dx)

JerryV, I would be very interested in knowing the Dr. you are seeing at Mayo. I think I will eventually have to go the AUS route. If / When I do I will go anywhere to have it done by the most experienced Doctor I can find.

I will keep an eye out for your post. Good Luck
KW

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Hi KW

The people at Mayo have installed AUS since 1972 and the doctor i am seeing installs 100 of these units every 14 months.  Thats a lot of experience and in your interview you find that out quickly.

There are two doctors i have seen and they are very knowlegible.The first one is Doctor Shawn Michael McGee and the other is Dr. Daniel Steven Elliot.  Dr. Elliot's  medical secretary number is (507)284-3983.  These two guys are wonderful and they let you and everyone with  you know about you situation.  Before the operation someone will come to you and those with you telling you that you will be told the progress of the operation.  Your people know what is going on all the time.

When you leave the hospital you are given  a list of information and instructions along with phone numbers for any further information you might need.  A wonderful feeling knowing there is someont to talk to if needed.

DON'T go thru all the pain i did for 6 months.  Go to the best and you will nwver regret it.

I get stronger and have less pain each day and i will continue to keep you all informed of my progress.

Keep praying for me

Thanks to all of you.

Jerryv

Jerry, Thanks! I will keep watching how you progress. Please keep us informed.

KW

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