Bladder pressure sensors in an animal model.

Urinary incontinence due to detrusor hyperreflexia might be inhibited on demand if changes in bladder pressure could be detected by sensors and transferred into pudendal nerve electrostimulation. The aim of this study is to investigate how the bladder wall reacts on different sensor implants. Sensors were implanted in twelve goats. In group 1 (n = 8) real sensors were placed on the peritoneal surface of the bladder dome, between the peritoneum and the muscular layer, and between the cervix and bladder. In group 2 (n = 4), dummy sensors were placed between the mucosal and muscular layers. During follow-up as long as 25 months, urodynamic studies, radiographic control and urine cultures were done. In group 1, sensors placed between the peritoneum and muscular layer gave the best results. In group 2, 11 of the 12 sensors eroded. The authors conclude that implantation of sensors in the bladder wall is feasible.