Collagen Injections Help Men with Incontinence

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - For men with urinary incontinence that often follows prostate surgery, injections of collagen into the area of the urinary sphincter can improve short-term bladder control, according to a new study.

The procedure is performed via the urinary outlet, the urethra, under local anesthesia. "Collagen is suitable in patients who do not wish a more invasive option," Dr. O. Lenaine Westney from the University of Texas Houston Health Science Center told Reuters Health.

"It is unsuitable for patients who have undergone treatments which result in tissue damage to the urethra (radiation or cryotherapy)," the investigator cautioned

Westney and colleagues evaluated the effectiveness of collagen injection therapy for urinary incontinence after prostate removal for cancer or benign prostate enlargement in 322 men.

The treatment reduced the average number of pads required to keep dry from 5 to 3 daily, the team reports in The Journal of Urology, and the procedure remained effective for about 6 or 7 months.

"Transurethral collagen injections are a good option for short-term therapy in men with post-prostatectomy incontinence," the researchers conclude.

"Based on our population, if there is no improvement after two to three injections, it is reasonable to assume that injectable therapy will not be a successful treatment option for the patient," Westney commented.

More reliable treatments, which involve surgery, include an artificial urinary sphincter and placement of a "sling" to increase urine outflow resistance.

SOURCE: Journal of Urology, September 2005.