ATOMS - Adjustable Trans Obturator Male System
The treatment of male stress urinary incontinence still presents a significant challenge, particularly after radical prostatectomy. The ATOMS System combines a minimally-invasive and low-risk method with the option of quick and easy adjustment to the system at any time after the implantation.
ATOMS is suitable for all grades of incontinence and allows you to take an active part in life again. Unlike other systems currently available, ATOMS can be adjusted without further surgery and does not require any manual operation of mechanical parts (e.g. pumps) by the patient.
What advantages does ATOMS offer?
The main advantages of the system are the adjustability and firm attachment by mesh arms. There is no need for additional surgery to complete the adjustments and the secure fixation ensures the system will neither rotate nor migrate. It remains in place for maximum effect. After the healing phase, a capsule forms around the special cushion in the middle of the implant and helps prevent further injury to the urethra. Another advantage is that the implant contains no mechanical components - you are not required to operate or activate any part to make the system work, nor to urinate. After the system is activated, you are able to urinate normally again as the need arises.
How is ATOMS adjusted?
Three to four weeks after the operation the system can be adjusted to suit your individual requirements via the port which was implanted near the pubis during surgery. The Surgeon injects the port with fluid which travels through the catheter to fill the cushion lying under the urethra. As the cushion fills, the pressure on the urethra increases. This correctly-adjusted pressure will allow you to hold your urine. It is likely that several adjustments will be required to find the ideal filling volume for each patient, because the pressure should only be increased carefully by small amounts each time. A notable advantage of ATOMS is that adjustment by your Surgeon is very easy and can be made at any time, even years after the implantation without having to undergo surgery again.
Increase in Volume: Individual, Long-Term Adjustment of Pressure on Urethra
What does the surgery involve?
The operation is minimally invasive and takes no longer than 30 - 60 minutes. It is usually carried our under general or spinal anaesthetic. The implant is inserted through a small incision under the scrotum and the central cushion is positioned directly under the urethra.
A port made of titanium and silicone is then implanted into the scrotum. This port is necessary for later adjustments to the system. The surgeon then uses a transobturatoric approach, which has been tried and tested during thousands of sling implantations in women, to draw the mesh arms around a bony structure under the skin, and thereby securing the system firmly in place. After the operation, you will be asked to wait for three to four weeks while the affected area heals before the system can be activated. However, many patients experience early improvements before the first adjustment.