One to two days before surgery, your doctor will tell you to change your diet and give you medicine to help prepare your bowels for surgery. Before the surgery, your doctor will give you a general or regional anesthesia so you either remain asleep or do not feel pain during the surgery. Your doctor will prescribe antibiotics for you to take before the surgery to help reduce the risk of infection. The procedure to implant the Acticon® Neosphincter usually lasts about two hours.

The Acticon® Neosphincter components are filled with fluid and then implanted through two incision sites. Your doctor makes an incision around your anus to allow room for the cuff around your anal canal. Another incision is made in your lower abdominal area to implant the pressure-regulating balloon and pump. Through this incision, the balloon is implanted next to your bladder and the control pump is implanted in your labium. The components are then connected with kink-resistant tubing, allowing the liquid to move within the device.

After the Procedure
After surgery you will be kept in the hospital for a recovery period of approximately five days. Your Acticon Neosphincter will not be functional or activated for six to eight weeks after the surgery to give your incisions time to heal. During this recovery time, you will continue to use pads to manage your incontinence.

You may feel some pain in your labium immediately after surgery and when the device is first activated. Some light pain after surgery is normal and usually can be treated with oral pain medications.

After the recovery period, your doctor will activate the Acticon Neosphincter by a simple manipulation of the pump, and you will return to normal activities as soon as your doctor feels you are ready. After that, you will be able to control your stool by squeezing the pump whenever you need to have a bowel movement.