The AMS800 Urinary Control System


The AMS800 is an artificial urinary sphincter system placed completely inside your body. It consists of three parts:


  1. an inflatable cuff that fits around the urethra and prevents leakage
  2. a pump inside your scrotum that allows deflation of the cuff to make sure you can pass urine 
  3. a pressure regulating balloon reservoir inside your abdomen or pelvis


How does it work?


The silicone cuff fits snug around the urethra. It is usually inflated with saline and seals the urethra, thus preventing any leakage of urine during physical activities. To begin urinating, the patient squeezes a small pump which is placed discreetly inside the scrotum. The pump moves the saline from inside the cuff into a small reservoir inside the abdomen or pelvis. Doing so deflates the cuff, opens the urethra and allows urine to exit the body. Within about 2-3 minutes the cuff will then inflate automatically.


An artificial urinary sphincter is primarily designed to treat male urinary incontinence after prostate or other pelvic surgery. It is most commonly used to treat moderate to severe urinary leakage. It mimics the function of a healthy sphincter: it keeps urine in the bladder but allows patients to urinate when desired. 


The sphincter is patient operated and requires both good cognitive ability to understand the function of the device and some manual dexterity to find and use the pump when necessary.


The Surgery


The procedure is carried out with one of two very small incisions under general or spinal anaesthetic with a short overnight stay in hospital. For the first six weeks after the surgery the device remains deactivated, which means that you will be as wet as you were before the surgery. Six weeks after the procedure you will be seen in clinic and we will familiarise yourself with the function of the device. You should then notice immediate and significant improvement of your incontinence..