A feasibility study on a new artificial sphincter for colostomy

Although many efforts have been put forth, fecal incontinence of colostomates is still an unsolved problem. Among the techniques available to improve continence, the use of electromagnetic/mechanical power has not been explored. Our work looks at the characteristics needed by the components of an artificial sphincter where the power of sphincteric muscles is substituted with electromagnetic/mechanical power, and the mechanical absence of muscles is replaced by a plastic band. Experimental work was done with isolated colon of 26 mongrel dogs, and all of them became continent by an intraluminal gas pressure over 80 mm Hg when a final perimeter between 3.7 and 4.7 cm was reached. No macroscopic lesions were noted on the guts' surface beneath the plastic band. The largest band displacement was 4.2 cm, and the traction force was under 50 N.