Patent ID: 7547291

Claim:
A urethral prosthesis, comprising: (a) a tubular element including a distal portion and a closed distal end, the distal portion defining a drainage hole for receiving urine from a bladder of a patient, the tubular element further including a proximal end and a lumen extending from the drainage hole through the tubular element to the proximal end, the tubular element further including an inflation balloon, the tubular element configured to maintain an open channel for fluid flow through a prostatic urethra of the patient when the prosthesis is positioned within the patient; (b) at least one suture extending from the proximal end of the tubular element, the at least one suture passing through a urinary sphincter of the patient when the prosthesis is positioned within the patient to allow the patient to control the urinary sphincter; and (c) a non-inflatable element extending from a proximal end of the at least one suture, the element including a proximal end and a distal end and defining a length between the proximal end and the distal end, the distal end of the element defining a width greater than a width of the proximal end of the element.