Managing urinary incontinence with BioDerm external continence device.

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common problem, experienced by both men and women, and has a significant impact on quality of life. For male patients, UI can be caused by a number of conditions, including post-prostatectomy, neurogenic problems (such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury), dementia, and an overactive bladder. One way of managing male UI is through the use of urinary sheaths - containment devices which capture the urine that is voided involuntarily. This article discusses male UI and its management, looking at common problems encountered when using urinary sheaths. It goes on to describe BioDerm, a new type of continence device that could meet the needs of some groups of men, and is an alternative to the previously used external condom catheter-based system of urinary drainage.