The mechanism of urinary continence after prostatectomy.

An anatomical and neuropharmacological study of the urethra was performed in 19 patients after prostatetectomy to investigate the mechanism of continence. Anatomically, the urethral segment responsible for the postprostatectomy continence was located distal to the open prostatic fossa in the external sphincter which is comprised of intrinsic striated muscle and is called arbitrarily rhabdosphincter by the author. This unique striated muscle in the rhabdosphinecter appears to be primarily under the alpha-adrenergic influence in view of the change in the urethral pressure profile observed following alpha-adrenergic drugs.