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Five meters of H 2 O: The pressure at the urinary bladder neck during human ejaculation
Author(s) -
Böhlen Dominik,
Hugonnet Christophe L.,
Mills Robert D.,
Weise Erik S.,
Schmid HansPeter
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
the prostate
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.295
H-Index - 123
eISSN - 1097-0045
pISSN - 0270-4137
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0045(20000901)44:4<339::aid-pros12>3.0.co;2-z
Subject(s) - ejaculation , prostatic urethra , urethra , neck of urinary bladder , medicine , urology , retrograde ejaculation , balloon , urethral sphincter , urinary system , prostate , anatomy , urinary bladder , cancer
BACKGROUND There are no data in the literature on pressure changes in the prostatic urethra during ejaculation. In healthy men, it has always been postulated that there must be a pressure gradient in order to prevent retrograde ejaculation, but scientific proof for that is pending. METHODS In five healthy male volunteers, the pressure profile in the prostatic urethra was registered during ejaculation, using a 10 French balloon catheter with 16 pressure channels. The channels were arranged in pairs at 5‐mm intervals, beginning just below the balloon at the bladder neck and extending down to the external urethral sphincter. RESULTS In the proximal part of the prostatic urethra, a pressure of up to 500 cm of H 2 O was measured in all subjects. Contrary to that, pressures did not exceed 400 cm of H 2 O distally to the verumontanum. CONCLUSIONS A novel method to register the pressure profile in the lower urinary tract during ejaculation (ejaculomanometry) is presented. This study adds to the knowledge of the normal physiology of reproductive function and may be useful in the evaluation of male sexual and reproductive disorders. Prostate 44:339–341, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.