Polyacrylamide hydrogel for the treatment of incontinence and vesicouretal reflux

1. A method of treating urinary incontinence, comprising injecting into a urethra a hydrogel that comprises about 0.5% to 25% by weight of a polymer, based on the total weight of said hydrogel, wherein said polymer is a product of a method comprising combining acrylamide and methylene bis-acrylamide in a molar ratio of 150:1 to 1000:1, and wherein said hydrogel includes less than 50 ppm monomeric units, has a complex viscosity of about 2 to 50 Pas, and has an elasticity modulus of about 1 to 200 Pa.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said hydrogel comprises less than 10% by weight of said polymer, based on the total weight of the hydrogel.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said hydrogel comprises less than 5% by weight of said polymer, based on the total weight of the hydrogel.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein said hydrogel comprises less than 3.5% by weight of said polymer, based on the total weight of the hydrogel.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said hydrogel has a complex viscosity of about 2 to 20 Pas.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said hydrogel further comprises at least 75% by weight pyrogen-free water or saline solution.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said hydrogel:

(A) comprises at least 1.5% by weight polyacrylamide, less than 10% by weight polyacrylamide, and at least 90% by weight pyrogen-free water or saline solution, based on the total weight of the hydrogel; and

(B) includes less than 10 ppm monomeric units, has a complex viscosity of about 2 to 20 Pas, and has an elasticity modulus of about 1 to 100 Pa.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said hydrogel is homogenized.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said polymer is cross-linked polyacrylamide.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said hydrogel has an elasticity modulus of about 5 to 150 Pa.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said hydrogel has an elasticity modulus of about 10 to 100 Pa.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said hydrogel includes less than 10 ppm monomeric units.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said incontinence is selected from the group consisting of stress incontinence, reflex incontinence, and urge incontinence.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said hydrogel is injected under the submucosa of the urethra.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said injecting of said hydrogel comprises injections at positions 10, 2, and 6 o'clock of the cross-sectional axis of the urethra.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said hydrogel further comprises cells.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein said cells comprise stem cells.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein said cells allow for cellular engraftment to the surrounding tissue in the urethra.