Abstract: PD34-11
Sources of Funding: None

Introduction

Approximately 10-20% of patients will have a recurrence after urethroplasty. Initial management of these recurrences is often with urethral dilation (UD) and direct vision internal urethrotomy (DVIU) but the success rates of these procedures are not well known.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed bulbar urethroplasty data from 5 surgeons from the Trauma and Urologic Reconstruction Network of Surgeons (TURNS). Men who underwent UD or DVIU for a <17F lumen plus symptoms of recurrence were identified. Analyses compared success rates of recurrence management (UD vs. DVIU) and initial urethroplasty type (substitution vs. excisional repair, EPA) using time to event statistics: Kaplan Meier curves and Cox regression models. Failure of UD or DVIU was defined as the inability to pass a 17Fr cystoscope through the urethra into the bladder.

Results

There were 53 men with recurrence that were initially managed endoscopically, 10 with UD and 43 with DVIU. Mean time to recurrence after urethroplasty was 7.6 months. At a mean follow-up of 16.3 months after UD or DVIU, success was 41.5% in the overall cohort: 48.8% for DVIU vs. 10% for UD. Kaplan Meier curves are shown in Figure 1. On Cox modeling, UD had a higher rate of subsequent failure compared to DVIU (hazard ratio, HR: 3.15, p=0.03). Patients undergoing EPA had a trend towards higher rates of recurrence after secondary endoscopic procedures vs. those undergoing substitution urethroplasty (HR: 2.41, p=0.05)

Conclusions

DVIU is more successful than UD in the management of stricture recurrence after bulbar urethroplasty. DVIU appears to be more successful for patients with a recurrence after a substitution urethroplasty compared to after an EPA, perhaps indicating a different mechanism of recurrence for EPA (ischemic) versus substitution urethroplasty (technical)

Funding

None