After successful animal trials that used PMMA-microspheres for Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI), Gottfried Lemperle, a renowned plastic surgeon and researcher, decided to see if a similar procedure would be safe and effective in the urethra. If Lemperle’s procedure worked, it could provide a long-lasting, minimally-invasive treatment for urinary incontinence. While some doctors currently use standard collagen injections to treat the condition, these treatments usually need to be repeated several times a year in order to retain effectiveness. Gottfried Lemperle’s procedure could offer a permanent fix for a condition that affects most women who have birthed children.
Gottfried Lemperle and his associates injected PMMA spheres with diameters of 40 micrometers and 125 micrometers into the urethrae of female pigs in an to thicken the walls of the urethra and reduce bladder leakage. At six months, the injection sites remained stable and irritation-free. In addition, the 125-micrometer spheres remained in site and did not travel to other bodily organs. PMMA, under the Artefill brand, has proven to be safe and effective for cosmetic surgery. Lemperle’s current round of experiments test the feasibility of using the material to fix a wide variety of other physical problems associated with aging, such as urinary and fecal incontinence and gastroesophageal reflux.
Gottfried Lemperle Explores Use of PMMA for Stress-based Incontinence
