The work of the University Clinic for Urology within the SCI-TReCS Research Centre comprises basic, translational, and clinical research. At the heart of our work is the idea of avoiding (or at least reducing) irreversible and fatal bladder changes after a cross-sectional injury. In the long term, restoring bladder functionality and deliberate control are the top priority.

Consequences of spinal cord damage

In the medium and long term, the presence of a cross-sectional lesion means irreversible damage of the urinary bladder. A “neurogenic bladder” results because there is a lack of control by superordinate centres in the brain. Protection of the lower and upper urinary systems plays a vital role. Consequences of this bladder dysfunction (incontinence, contracted bladder, permanent urinary tract infections, very high bladder pressure, and kidney failure) represent the greatest long-term morbidity risk for cross-sectional patients. Two therapeutic approaches must be pursued in parallel: preventing irreversible damage to the urinary bladder and sphincter and maintaining as normal a bladder function as possible (urinary storage and emptying function).

Main research areas

· Improvement of lower urinary tract function and safeguarding of the upper urinary tract through:

  - Sacral and pudendal neuromodulation

  - Targeted drug therapies

· Examination of pathological changes of the urinary tract and spinal cord with and without therapy

· Shockwave therapy for the regeneration of muscles, nerves, and blood vessels

· Recording of physiological and pathological bladder filling and emptying in alert small animals to study the effects of drugs, neuromodulation, and shock waves

· Clinical studies with different neuro-urological indications in national and international studies

  - Laparoscopic targeted electrode placement on the pudendal nerve for neuromodulation

  - CT-targeted sacral neuromodulation in patients with altered anatomy