Spiral multidetector computerized tomography evaluation of adjustable continence therapy implants

ProACT is an adjustable continence therapy implant for post-prostatectomy incontinence. We evaluated the exact device location in clinical success and failed implant cases using spiral multidetector computerized tomography.

We evaluated 18 consecutive patients postoperatively using pelvic spiral multidetector computerized tomography. Of the patients 11 (61%) were dry or improved and 7 (39%) had not improved despite multiple balloon adjustments. Thin pelvic collimated scans with bone algorithm were obtained, completed by multiplanar reformatting and a volume rendering technique. The computerized tomography technique is described.

Multidetector computerized tomography showed device sites compared to local anatomical structures. In 64% of dry or improved patients the devices were above the urogenital diaphragm and adjacent to the urethral wall (the correct position) while in the remaining 36% of cured patients only 1 device was positioned correctly. Of nonimproved patients 86% had balloons that were not adjacent to the urethra. The scout view did not show malpositioning in any of these cases. Only multiplanar reformatting with the volume rendering technique revealed misplacement.

Multidetector computerized tomography data shows that a poor outcome in most failed cases results from poor device positioning. In a few failed cases an unsuccessful result is probably caused by excessive tissue sclerosis. To our knowledge we report for the first time how continence can be determined by the action of only 1 device.