[The Fabian prosthesis: our experience in 13 cases].

The spiral intraurethral prosthesis is a device that maintains the urinary tract expedite and overcomes the prostatic obstacle. It is used as an alternative in patients requiring permanent bladder catheters due to prostatic obstruction syndrome that are at high risk for surgery and in those patients that are on the waiting list for surgery. We report the results of a one-year follow-up of 13 patients in whom a prosthesis had been implanted. The spiral prosthesis had to be removed in 6 cases (one due to calcification two months after placement); the remaining 7 patients are still being followed. We briefly analyze the micturition hydrodynamics and the changes of the continence mechanisms and attempt to explain the poor flowmetry results and incontinence observed in these patients with the urological spiral prosthesis. We have recently abandoned the metal prosthesis and now use the so-called "intraureteral catheter" which has become available. However, further experience is warranted in order to determine its results.