Other Surgeries

The Collagen bladder neck implant, a very useful procedure, was introduced into Australia by Professor Haylen and his urological colleague at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, Associate Professor Phillip Stricker, in July 1990. It was used till recently for a specific group of patients with good success. The (white) collagen was superseded in late 2011 by a clear gel product called Bulkamid with very similar efficacy for women who have generally fixed tissues around their lower urinary tract from the effects of previous surgery.

Collagen implant (white) or Bulkamid (clear) is injected to bulk up and close the bladder neck. The indication for this procedure is when the bladder neck has been scarred into a fixed position by previous surgery (sometimes multiple operations). The ability of the bladder neck to close itself and prevent urinary incontinence can be compromised in these circumstances.

Collagen is the fine matrix that is found in most parts of the body. For instance, it runs between muscle fibres. A synthetic (GAX) collagen is used to “bulk” up the tissues surrounding the bladder neck so that the bladder neck is closed by the procedure. GAX collagen can often stay in place for years.

The collagen / Bulkamid is injected under the direct vision of a telescope passed up the urethra. The collagen / Bulkamid bladder neck implant continues to prove a safe and effective treatment for those difficult cases of stress urinary incontinence where other procedures might be difficult or unsuccessful. The Bulkamid syringe is very similar to the Bladder neck injectable.