Incontinence..more surgery for Steve

User

Posted 30 Jul 2026 at 09:24

Hey everyone…I know there’s a few on here who suffer from incontinence post prostatectomy; some already had AUS surgery; some living with it the way it is.

Steve is one of the few that never regained continence post RARP so has lived with this for over 2.5 years. He was on the list NHS, for fitting of an AUS but never felt quite committed to it, we did a lot of research and decided he would prefer the ATOMS (adjustable transobturator male sling) surgery. This is a relatively newer procedure with not as many studies on outcomes and was only available to us privately in Reading, so several hours away from our home in Lancashire.

After all our research, we just felt this would be better for Steve, if it works (results show 75% of men totally dry and the remaining 25% significant improvement).

So Steve had surgery in Reading on Tuesday, overnight stay, released Wednesday. The op is carried out under GA via a cut in the perineum and involves inserting a fluid filled ‘cushion’ under the urethra and a titanium tube/port in the scrotum. The cushion will be tensioned by filling (via the port) with fluid….but not until he has healed in about 8 weeks; so we won’t know if it has been successful until then. If it is, there is no manual operation needed from Steve, the port is just for the surgeon to use.

So we are currently in Portsmouth for a couple of weeks, we have a holiday lodge here as our Daughter and family live here; Steve is very sore in the nether regions….where he is a beautiful plum colour! Dosed up on pain relief and trying to walk (like John Wayne at the moment)..but it’s done and we have everything crossed it works and quality of life improves for him!

we still have to solve the ED issue…but one problem at a time! Feeling hopeful!

Debbie

User

Posted 30 Jul 2026 at 10:05

Hi Debbie.

Steve has been a bit unlucky. Perforated bowel dring RARP, turning an overnight stay to nearly a fortnight in hospital. Incontinence and ED issues two and a half years after RARP, despite the operation being 80% nerve sparing. However, he has been very lucky having you. You've supported him all the way. Also, am I right in thinking that his PSA has remained undetectable; if so that's obviously a very good result.

You both deserve some good fortune, and I hope the ATOMS surgery is a complete success. Don't give up with the ED injections. They first tried me with Caverject which had no affect, yet Invicorp works quite well.

Edited by member 30 Jul 2026 at 10:53 | Reason: Typo

User

Posted 30 Jul 2026 at 11:10

Hi Adrian, Steve here, usually leave the correspondence to herself as she’s better at it than me, or so she keeps telling me.

just wanted to thank you and all the other supportive contributors on here, it really has been invaluable to Debbie and myself, although she does the posts and and all the research, we do share the ‘reading’ and discussions.

Yes, as you say, I am very lucky to have Debbie, (I’m not just saying that as she will read this!), we have shared 43 years together, ups and downs to deal with which is just life but this last couple of years has certainly been the most difficult period where she has had to be the strong one, that’s how I see it anyway!

I’m sat pretty helpless at the moment; on a special cushion, whilst Debbie runs around trying to anticipate my every need (she’s not very good at sitting still for long). Fortunately we share the same sense of humour, but it’s wearing thin at the moment as she keeps on telling me it can’t be any worse than the two episiotomies she had to have giving birth to our two children!!

The surgery wasn’t as bad as the anticipation of it, post surgery is a bit more challenging but from what I remember it’s on a par with when I had my vasectomy 30 years ago (because she said she wasn’t having any more episiotomies!).

over and out for now

Steve

User

Posted 13 Oct 2026 at 11:10

Hi Out of interest, has the ATOMs procedure succeed for you?

No problem if you'd rather not answer.

Thanks

User

Posted 13 Oct 2026 at 15:59

Hi Rich, no problem at all …any info you need, just shout.

Steve does consider the op successful, he always said if his incontinence could be 75% improved on fully incontinent, then he would be happy with that. He is currently 95% improved so now only needs one medium pad per day. The story isn’t over yet: 7 weeks post ATOMS he went back to the surgeon’s out patient clinic to have some fluid injected into the device; this hasn’t actually improved on the 95% but it’s probably because it’s been counteracted by post op internal swelling reducing further. He will go back in November when we are next in the South and have another top up in clinic. There is a bit of guesswork in finding the sweet spot here.

Even if he can’t get any further improvement, Steve is more than happy with his situation now from being totally incontinent to 5%.

The only thing he has found, worthy of note, the internal recovery has been very slow, his op was at the end of July, 11 weeks ago now, and he still has some discomfort which feels like internal stitching nipping/healing. It’s difficult as unless you practically don’t move for weeks, the area is always in use, just by walking/sitting/moving in any way…he’s sure it is improving but very slowly and of course everyone heals at a different rate. That said, he would definitely recommend the op, over the thought of the AUS and its manual operation.

Debbie

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