["Clam" enteroplasty in the treatment of unstable or low compliance bladders]

The treatment of urinary incontinence due to unstable bladder remains difficult. In the case of failure of medical or physiotherapeutic treatments, clam enterocystoplasty represents a major and important therapeutic possibility. The operation consists of frontal section of the bladder to form a bivalve followed by interposition, between the two valves, of a detubed ileal graft in order to increase the functional vesical capacity and to interrupt the transmission of detrusor contraction waves from one valve to the other. 10 patients (7 men and 3 women) suffering from urinary incontinence due to neurogenic unstable bladder (4 cases: 3 meningoceles, 1 operated cauda equina neuroma) or to another cause (6 cases, including one sequela of radiotherapy for prostatic cancer and 5 cases of apparently primary urinary incontinence) underwent enterocystoplasty combined, in the case of neurogenic incontinence (2 cases simultaneously and 2 cases previously), with the insertion of an AMS 800 sphincter. No major complication was observed. 9 patients are continent and 1 had to be reoperated to undergo an augmentation enterocystoplasty (failure of the initial operation due to radiation changes of the bladder), 3 retain a post-voiding residual of about 200 ml but not requiring self catheterisation due to the absence of any repercussions on the upper urinary tract. Lastly, urodynamic studies demonstrated a spectacular increase in compliance and functional capacity of the bladder together with a reduction of the amplitude of intravesical pressure peaks.