Antegrade Collagen Injection for Stress Incontinence after Radical Prostatectomy: Technique and Early Results

This article describes the technique and early results of antegrade collagen injection into the bladder neck and proximal urethra of men with stress incontinence postprostatectomy. Twenty men underwent collagen injection under general anesthesia. Follow-up ranges from 5 to 15 months, with a mean of 9.5 months. A mean of 14.5 cc of collagen was injected (range 5-25 cc). According to a subjective self-grading system, preoperative and postoperative urodynamics, and pad usage before and after treatment, significant improvement was seen in 14 patients (70%), and subjective cure was reported by 5 (25%). Six patients (30%) had no subjective or objective improvement after the injection. The antegrade collagen injection technique is a promising and simple method of correcting postprostatectomy stress urinary incontinence. Further study and longer follow-up is necessary to determine its precise role in the treatment of men with this problem.