Autologous and synthetic urethral slings for female incontinence.

Over the past decade, urethral slings have emerged as the procedure of choice for the surgical correction of most types of female urinary stress incontinence. A variety of materials, autologous, alloplastic, and synthetic, have been used successfully as urethral slings. In the next decade, it is hoped that a better understanding of the factors that influence surgical success will translate into continued refinement of surgical technique.

Genuine stress incontinence theories of etiology and surgical correction.

Urinary loss (flow) results from a relative lack of CM resistance with respect to the intravesical pressure. Surgical stabilization of the continence mechanism, at the level of the bladder neck or mid-urethra, compensates for the existing loss of urethral support and function by creating new zones for compression, absorption of transmitted pressure, and the preservation of sphincteric configuration. Our understanding of the pathophysiology of stress incontinence and the basis for surgical compensation continues to evolve.

Synthetic slings: pros and cons.

Historically, the choice of sling material for the treatment of urinary incontinence has been based on the surgeon's preference and experience. In general, pelvic surgeons have not differentiated artificial graft materials by their inherent qualities or for biocompatibility in the female pelvis and vaginal wall. The introduction of new artificial graft materials and new methods of implantation for the correction of genuine stress incontinence has generated renewed interest in the "pros and cons" associated with nonabsorbable material use.

A platelet activating factor antagonist attenuates the effects of testicular ischemia.

Purpose: Platelet activating factor, a biochemical marker and lipid mediator of ischemic injury, has been demonstrated in several organ systems. The objective of this study was to investigate the possible role of platelet activating factor in testicular ischemic injury.

Materials And Methods: Five groups of 6 male Sprague-Dawley rats were studied, including group 1-nonoperated controls, group 2-sham operated controls, group 3-those that underwent administration of 10 micrograms.