Mumbai Woman Gives Birth After India’s First Artificial Sphincter Surgery

A 30-year-old woman from Mumbai has successfully delivered a baby via C-section, nearly two years after undergoing a transformative artificial sphincter surgery in Pune. Doctors claim this to be the first successful artificial sphincter implantation in an Indian female patient, restoring her ability to control urination.

A Rare Condition and Its Consequences

In 2021, the woman was diagnosed with Wegener’s Granulomatosis, a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis), leading to organ damage. She initially had a mass in the front wall of her vagina, close to the bladder and urethra.

Following immunotherapy at a Mumbai hospital, the mass disappeared, but the treatment caused complete urethral tissue loss, leading to continuous urine leakage. She had to rely on a suprapubic catheter for urinary drainage, significantly impacting her daily life.

Groundbreaking Surgery at Urokul Hospital

She was referred to Dr. Sanjay Kulkarni, a Pune-based uro-surgeon, for further evaluation. “During examination, we observed a wide-open bladder neck with no urinary passage,” Dr. Kulkarni explained. Typically, the female urethra measures about 4 cm, but in her case, it was missing entirely.

To reconstruct the urethra, the surgical team used tissue from her labia majora to create a new 4 cm-long urinary passage. This reconstructive procedure was completed in April 2022.

India’s First Artificial Sphincter Surgery in a Woman

Six months later, an artificial urinary sphincter from the United States was implanted around the newly created urethra. This device functions like a ring, with:

• A balloon placed inside the abdomen

• A control button near the labia that releases urine when pressed

Following the procedure, the patient regained complete urinary control, allowing her to resume a normal life.

Overcoming the Odds to Become a Mother

After the surgery, she got married and later conceived. Due to the previous abdominal tissue reconstruction, doctors planned a C-section delivery. The uro-surgical team worked closely with obstetrician Dr. Chinmay Umarjee at Umarji Hospital, Pune, to ensure the artificial sphincter remained intact during childbirth.

“As we used part of her abdominal tissue, a C-section was necessary. We advised her to deliver in Pune so we could supervise the procedure,” Dr. Kulkarni noted.

A Life-Changing Experience

Sharing her experience, the patient said, “I was told I might never live a normal life again, but the surgery changed my life for good.”

Dr. Kulkarni hopes this breakthrough will increase awareness of advanced surgical options for complex urological conditions, offering hope to others facing similar challenges.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Dr. Sreelekshmi P/MSM)