Comparing Male Slings for Incontinence

I am a mid-sixties male that underwent a prostatectomy approximately ten years ago. I remain cancer free but have required 1-2 pads per day for the urinary incontinence that resulted from this surgery. I did not require radiation or chemotherapy due to early detection. This made me the perfect candidate for male sling surgery.

I was implanted with a Coloplast Virtue Male Sling approximately 3 1/2 months ago. It has been a disaster for me. The pain has been continuous and intolerable. The majority of the pain originates from five areas. The scrotum skin continues to feel inflamed to the touch. There is major burning and irritation where the lower mesh arms pass under, but near, the creases between my legs and groin. The worst discomfort is on my bottom side where the lower mesh arms, of the Coloplast sling, are wrapped around the pubic rami or lower pelvic bones on both sides of my lower pelvis. This wrapped area causes bilateral abnormal “raised areas”, on the lower pelvic bone, which compresses tissue, causing intolerable pain, when I am seated.

My bottom side throbs continuously and feels deeply bruised. Sitting sometimes becomes impossible due to pain. The lower mesh arms are tightly tensioned and wrapped around the lower pelvic bones. This simulates the pain one would expect when sitting for an extended period of time on a broom handle or hard rope. The pain continues when I try to lie on my back in bed at night. I continue to use Vicodin to enable some degree of rest at night but sleep continues to be very difficult. My urologist has suggested nerve blocks or stronger narcotic painkillers but I do not want to live doped up on pain killers.

To make matters worse, I went from normally 1 pad per day pre-surgery to 3-4 pads per day post-surgery. The pain and discomfort continue to make intercourse unthinkable.

My health and well-being was great before this procedure so I am 100% convinced neither my anatomy nor my health was a factor in this failed procedure.

I had two appointments at The Cleveland Clinic, earlier this week, in search of ending my pain and suffering. They are scheduling me for surgery ASAP to remove as much of this Coloplast implant as possible. I was warned that the pain and stinging, in my pelvic area, may continue for as long as one year post-surgery due to the trauma to the nerves in my lower pelvic area.

I will be evaluated for AMS's AdVance sling procedure during the surgical procedure to remove the Coloplast sling. If my condition is favorable, an AdVance sling will be implanted during this surgery. The AdVance sling appears to be much less invasive than the Copoplast sling. It has only two mesh extensions routed upward to lift the neck of the bladder and compress the urethra. It does not require the lower arms, wrapped around the lower pubic rami, nor the hard mesh platform, currently inside my scrotum, that are causing me continuous pain. I am anxiously waiting for my surgery, which should occur in 4-6 weeks.

Following my implant surgery, I discovered this Coloplast Virtue male sling is in Stage IV of FDA Clinical Trials. One of the purposes, of the Stage IV Clinical Trials, is to learn if this device can be tolerated in the human body. I would be interested in learning if others have had such a negative experience with this relatively new Coloplast Virtue male sling. Please leave a message at: male_sling_problems@yahoo.com