Magnetic ‘tap’ the size of a cigarette that can stop incontinence in both men and women

A cigarette-sized implant that acts as a one-way valve for the bladder could eliminate embarrassing leaks in both men and women.

The spring-loaded, tap-like device contains a small magnet and is implanted at the junction of the bladder and urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body). When the patient needs to go to the toilet, he holds a magnetic hand control above his abdomen (near the implant site). This magnetically attracts the implant to the device, releasing the spring and opening the valve to allow urine to leave the body.

Once the patient is ready, he flips a switch on the controller to reverse the mechanism, closing the valve again. When tested on ten patients with stress incontinence – where urine leaks when the bladder is under pressure – volunteers reported an 82 percent reduction in the number of leaks they experienced after three months of using the device.

Volunteers reported an 82 percent reduction in leaks after three months

NHS England estimates that around 14 million Britons suffer from urinary incontinence. Stress incontinence – where leakage can also be caused by the patient coughing or laughing – accounts for around 40 percent of cases. It is mainly due to weakening of the pelvic floor muscles that control urination.

Risk factors in women include pregnancy and vaginal birth, which ‘stretch’ the pelvic floor muscles. In men, however, this is mainly due to surgery for prostate cancer (which can damage the nerves that control the pelvic floor muscles).

Current treatments include exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, and an antidepressant – duloxetine – can also stimulate the muscle tone of the urethra, helping it stay closed.

Some people undergo surgery to support the bladder neck. Previously this often involved the use of a vaginal mesh, but its use in the NHS is now limited due to serious complications in some women.

But the new implant, which can be inserted in just ten minutes under local anesthesia, could be a simpler and more effective solution for both men and women.

Doctors feed a thin tube, also called a catheter, through the urethra to the junction with the bladder. They then push the cylindrical implant – just 3cm long and 0.7cm wide – through and secure it in place with a metal tube (or stent).

The device works when opposite poles of the magnets in the body and the hand controller attract each other, opening the valve to allow urine to flow through the urethra. However, when the poles in the controller are switched, the magnets repel each other, closing the valve and stopping leaks.

A report in the Journal of Endocrinology from researchers from several centers in Italy – including the University of Rome, which developed the implant – said it led to ‘remarkable improvements’ in symptoms.

Commenting on the implant, Professor Raj Persad, consultant urologist at Bristol Urology Associates, said: ‘This device is ingenious and promising.

‘Clearly, subjects need to be vigilant before introducing the device to the market, and consideration should be given to issues that could alter the dynamics of the device, such as tissue aging and weight gain.’