STENT OF SHAPE-MEMORY ALLOY FOR URETHRAL OBSTRUCTION CAUSED BY BENIGNPROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA

Dilation and positioning a stent in the prostatic urethra have become important alternatives for the management of benign prostatic hyperpla sia (BPH), but both have significant drawbacks, namely the need to rep eat the treatment in the former case and the conflict between the intr oducing means and the generation of sufficient expansile force in the latter case. A spiral of a Chinese titanium-nickel alloy with shape me mory was implanted in 25 patients with BPH using a self-made coaxial s heath. With a follow-up of 3 to 20 months, the success rate is 92%. Th ere has been no encrustation or migration of the spirals. We deem the spiral of this shape-memory alloy to be a good alternative in patients with BPH who are unfit for surgery.