HVR team members have huge experience and are pioneering new urinary surgery techniques, publishing theses advances in the academic literature.
Ectopic ureters are often a cause of incontinence in young dogs. Our team treat most cases using a laser, guided through a scope, as a minimally invasive approach. The clear advantage of this over traditional surgery is minimising discomfort and speeding recovery.
Urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence (“post spay incontinence”) is the commonest category for adult urinary incontinence. Medications help but sometimes are not effective or not well tolerated by a pet. We use a novel technique of hydraulic sphincter implantation. This abdominal surgical device connects to an injection port implanted under the skin of the flank which allows post-operative sphincter inflation, by simple injection, until incontinence is controlled. These injections, if and when needed, are performed on an outpatient basis and give good lifelong control of incontinence. We’ve had good success in male dogs too, and have also used hydraulic sphincters in an incontinent cat and in intersex dogs.
Delisser, PJ, Friend, EJ, Chanoit, GPA & Parsons, KJ, (2012). Static hydraulic urethral sphincter for treatment of urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence in 11 dogs. Journal of Small Animal Practice, vol 53., pp. 338-43
Gomes.C, Doran.ICP, Friend.EJ, Tivers.M, Chanoit.G (2017 ). Long-term outcome of female dogs treated with static hydraulic urethral sphincter for urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, In Press