Urethral inserts are temporarily inserted into the urethra (the tube which carries urine to the outside of the body) to prevent or reduce bladder leakage. Inserts are removed prior to urination, reinserted after voiding, generally re-usable, and are made of soft medical grade plastic which causes little discomfort.

Urethral insert devices for men with urinary incontinence

Men who are leaking urine from the bladder usually have one of the following problems:

1. Stress incontinence: Leakage of urine when pressure is exerted on the bladder – for example with exercise, bending over, or lifting something heavy. This type of incontinence may occur after surgery for prostate cancer.
2. Urge incontinence:  Leakage of urine that happens with sudden intense urges to go to the bathroom.
3. Mixed incontinence:  A combination of stress and urge incontinence.
4. Overflow incontinence: Leakage of urine in a frequent or constant dribble of urine due to an overfilled bladder.
5. Functional incontinence: Leakage of urine due to a mental or physical disability that prevents them from getting to the toilet on time. A local Urologist  TO is a great place to start in your information quest for Prostate Cancer.  

Conservative methods of managing stress incontinence include pelvic muscle exercises and bladder retraining.  If these therapies are not effective, men are left with four nonsurgical choices to manage their incontinence: absorbent products (diapers or pads), urethral inserts, external collection devices (e.g., a condom catheter with leg bag drainage), and penile compression devices.  Some men elect to pursue further surgery, a sling operation or implantation of an artificial sphincter.

Urethral inserts are temporarily inserted into the urethra (the tube which carries urine to the outside of the body) to prevent or reduce bladder leakage. Inserts are removed prior to urination, reinserted after voiding, generally re-usable, and are made of soft medical grade plastic which causes little discomfort. They are most often recommended for stress incontinence. Often seeinga Urologist or your family physican  is agreat palce to satrt in treating inconsistence. 

In a five-year multi site clinical study[1] in 36 men with stress incontinence the Contino Urethra Insert demonstrated significant reduction in the amount of urine leakage, as measured by a change in pad weight and in the severity of UI, as measured using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire – Short Form.  Some participants experienced a reduction in urine loss more than 95% of total daily loss.  Adverse events were minor, predictable and either self limiting or easily treated.  All were resolved prior to the end of the study and virtually all within the first week.  The most common adverse events were mild bleeding (7 instances) and pain (10 instances) on initial insertion, which were expected during the training process.

It is important to consult with a health care professional about the correct type, size, and placement of the device. Although there may be some initial discomfort when inserting or removing the device, this should pass after the first few weeks of use when using a properly sized device. Dr. Dean Elterman MD, MSc, FRCSC Urologist discusses Contino®, a new technology to deal with Male incontinence