AdVance™ Male Sling System

Is it Right For You?

Suspected Agent Orange exposure during his service in Vietnam left Barrett Brashers with a variety of neuro-muscular health problems. He didn’t know that a routine shoulder operation to repair his rotator cuff in 1997 would end up saving his life.

“When the nurse tried to put a Foley catheter in, he immediately sensed that I had a prostate problem,” said Barrett, of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Further testing with a urologist revealed advanced stage prostate cancer. Surgery was his only option at that point, and Barrett quickly underwent the procedure.

Unfortunately the cancer wasn’t encapsulated; the surgeon performed a radical prostatectomy with bi-lateral lymphectomy and hoped for the best. That turned out to be better than expected: He’s been cancer-free for nine years, and for that the 63-year old retired technology executive is resoundingly grateful.

“But the incontinence never went away,” said Barrett. “All this time I was going through five to eight pads a day. If I fell asleep in a chair, I’d soak the chair. Sometimes at night I’d soak through everything – my nighttime pad, the bedclothes, everything.”

He heard about a seminar addressing incontinence and his wife, a practicing nurse, convinced him to attend. “I wasn’t too excited about some of the surgical options I heard about – the artificial urinary sphincter just didn’t seem like it was for me. But I read about this new male sling procedure, and made an appointment to talk about it.”
Dr. Kurt McCammon of Devine-Tidewater Urology of Virginia felt that Barrett was an ideal candidate for the new AdVance™ male sling procedure, in which a small sling made of synthetic mesh is placed inside the body to support the urethra, restoring normal bladder control.

“I’d had enough,” said Barrett. “I was getting rashes from the pads. I couldn’t walk my dog. I was getting fat from all the things I was missing out on because of my incontinence. So I said let’s do it.” Dr. McCammon performed the surgery on January 15, 2007. “And I’ve been dry ever since.”

Having undergone various medical procedures over the years, this one didn’t seem too bad to Barrett. “I didn’t need any painkillers afterwards. I had a little soreness in the groin, but no pain – and no leaking.” The male sling is considered a minimally-invasive solution, often performed as an outpatient procedure, and most men are continent right away following the procedure.

Barrett Brashers counts himself one of the lucky ones. He’s back to walking his dog, shopping with his wife, and beginning to think about getting back to his six-day-a-week gym routine. “I feel great. I’m getting back into shape. I’m not messing around with the pads anymore. I feel like it’s improved my life by 50 percent.”