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Q: What are the risks of artificial sphynxter surgery for incontinence?
There are two kinds of artificial sphincter surgeries: one for urinary incontinence, and one for fecal incontinence. Both have their own set of risks and benefits. In general, both carry the normal risk of infection that accompanies any surgery. The urinary sphincter is relatively successful, but the rectal sphincter has high rates of the device not working correctly. The Cochrane Collection, a group that is very well-respected that reviews medical studies, says that there is not enough evidence about the rectal sphincter to determine that it actually does more good than harm when compared to non-surgical interventions.
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