01. What is Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) in Men?
02. What is Adjustable Continence Therapy (ACT) for Men?
03. What is Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) in Women?
04. What is Adjustable Continence Therapy (ACT) for Women?
05. How long does it take to work?
06. How are the devices Adjustable?

01. What is Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) in Men?

If you have had cancer of the prostate that required a radical prostatectomy, you may experience accidental urine leaks when you put pressure on your bladder, such as during a sneeze, cough, or exercise. This condition is called stress urinary incontinence.

02. What is Adjustable Continence Therapy (ACT) for Men?

ACT consists of two small implantable balloons. During a short procedure, the balloons are surgically placed under the skin in the area where your prostate was surgically treated. The balloons help protect against accidental leaking of urine by increasing the amount of pressure required to urinate. (When you need to urinate, a normal amount of effort should still be required to push the urine out. However, the pressure from the balloons will help guard against unintentional urine loss, such as during a sneeze or cough.)

03. What is Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) in Women?

Stress incontinence is the unintentional loss of urine that occurs when pressure is put on the bladder by coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting something heavy or even getting out of bed. The most common causes of female stress incontinence are childbearing and hysterectomy, which may weaken the tissue that supports the bladder neck and urethra (tube that empties urine from the bladder). It is difficult to pinpoint the number of women affected by stress incontinence, because often they do not report it. However, results of one study suggest that 20.8% of women over the age of 15 have experienced stress incontinence. ¹

04. What is Adjustable Continence Therapy (ACT) for Women?

The ACT Device consists of two small implantable balloons. During a short procedure, the balloons are surgically placed under the skin next to the bladder. The balloons help protect against accidental leaking of urine by increasing the amount of pressure required to urinate. (When you need to urinate, a normal amount of effort still should be required to push the urine out. However, the pressure from the balloons will help guard against unintentional urine loss, such as during a sneeze or cough.)

05. How long does it take to work?

ACT devices are implanted within your body and filled with a small volume, (1-2 ml) of fluid, this may be enough to improve your continence but you may require additional adjustments to gain the best results. Your doctor will inflate or deflate the device as necessary but they will need to wait 4-6 weeks before making adjustment. If the devices do not work for you they can be removed.

06. How are the devices Adjustable?

ACT devices are implanted within your body and once implanted, no-one but you will know it is there. Your doctor can inflate, deflate, or remove the device as necessary at any time after the surgery. Adjustments are made by your doctor through a small needle either adding or removing fluid from the balloons. There is no need for you to manipulate any part of the device, as would be the case with an artificial urinary sphincter.