Pelvic fracture urethral injuries in girls

PURPOSE: Injuries to the female urethra associated with pelvic fracture are uncommon. They may vary from urethral contusion to partial or circumferential rupture. When disruption has occurred at the level of the proximal urethra, it is usually complete and often associated with vaginal laceration. We retrospectively reviewed the records of a series of girls with pelvic fracture urethral stricture and present surgical treatment to restore urethral continuity and the outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1984 and 1997, 8 girls 4 to 16 years old (median age 9.6) with urethral injuries associated with pelvic fracture were treated at our institutions. Immediate therapy involved suprapubic cystostomy in 4 cases, urethral catheter alignment and simultaneous suprapubic cystostomy in 3, and primary suturing of the urethra, bladder neck and vagina in 1. Delayed 1-stage anastomotic repair was performed in 1 patient with urethral avulsion at the level of the bladder neck and in 5 with a proximal urethral distraction defect, while a neourethra was constructed from the anterior vaginal wall in a 2-stage procedure in 1 with mid urethral avulsion. Concomitant vaginal rupture in 7 cases was treated at delayed urethral reconstruction in 5 and by primary repair in 2. The surgical approach was retropubic in 3 cases, vaginal-retropubic in 1 and vaginal-transpubic in 4. Associated injuries included rectal injury in 3 girls and bladder neck laceration in 4. Overall postoperative followup was 6 months to 6.3 years (median 3 years). RESULTS: Urethral obliteration developed in all patients treated with suprapubic cystostomy and simultaneous urethral realignment. The stricture-free rate for 1-stage anastomotic repair and substitution urethroplasty was 100%. In 1 girl complete urinary incontinence developed, while another has mild stress incontinence. Retrospectively the 2 incontinent girls had had an associated bladder neck injury at the initial trauma. Two recurrent vaginal strictures were treated successfully with additional transpositions of lateral labial flaps. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasizes that combined vaginal-partial transpubic access is a reliable approach for resolving complex obliterative urethral strictures and associated urethrovaginal fistulas or severe bladder neck damage after traumatic pelvic fracture injury in female pediatric patients. Although our experience with the initial management of these injuries is limited, we advocate early cystostomy drainage and deferred surgical reconstruction when life threatening clinical conditions are present or extensive traumatized tissue in the affected area precludes immediate ideal surgical repair.     

Single Stage Reconstruction of Complex Anterior Urethral Strictures: Combined Tissue Transfer Techniques

Purpose

Reconstruction of most urethral strictures is possible with anastomotic, graft or skin flap procedures alone. We describe the combination of tissue transfer techniques to preserve the urethral plate and reconstruct long and complex urethral strictures in 1 stage.

Materials and Methods

We reviewed the results in 25 patients who underwent anterior urethroplasty requiring more than 1 tissue transfer technique to achieve urethral reconstruction in 1 stage.

Results

Outcome was excellent in 22 patients (88%). Seven patients with pan-urethral strictures (mean length 19 cm.) required a fasciocutaneous flap combined with a buccal mucosa, bladder epithelium or skin graft. A total of 13 patients with focally dense strictures underwent excision of the most severe portion of the stricture with dorsal reapproximation, thereby improving the quality of the urethral plate and allowing simultaneous flap or graft onlay reconstruction. Five patients with multiple separate strictures required a distal onlay fasciocutaneous flap with excision and end-to-end anastomosis of a separate, more proximal stricture.

Conclusions

A thorough knowledge of the vascular supply of the urethra allowed creative application of different tissue transfer techniques, enabling 1-stage reconstruction of complex urethral strictures. An excellent outcome was achieved by preserving or revising the urethral plate and avoiding the problems associated with hair-bearing flaps and 2-stage procedures.     

Operative techniques of anastomotic posterior urethroplasty for traumatic posterior urethral strictures

Objective： To elucidate the details of operative technique of anastomotic posterior urethroplasty for traumatic posterior urethral strictures in attempt to offer a successful result. Methods： We reviewed the clinical data of 106 patients who had undergone anastomotic repair for posterior urethral strictures following traumatic pelvic fracture between 1979 and 2004. Patients＇ age ranged from 8 to 53 years （mean 27 years ）. Surgical repair was performed via perinea in 72 patients, modified transperineal repair in 5 and perineoabdominal repair in 29. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 23 years （ mean 8 years ）. Results： Among the 77 patients treated by perineal approaches, 69 （95.8 % ） were successfully repaired and 27 out of the 29 patients （93. 1% ） who were repaired by perineoabdominal protocols were successful. The successful results have sustained as long as 23 years in some cases.Urinary incontinence did not happen in any patients while impotence occurred as a result of the anastomotic surgery. Conclusions： Three important skills or principles will ensure a successful outcome, namely complete excision of scar tissues, a completely normal mucnsa ready for anastomosis at both ends of the urethra, and a tension-free anastomosis. When the urethral stricture is below 2. 5 cm long, restoration of urethral continuity can be accomplished by a perineal procedure. If the stricture is over 2. 5 cm long, a modified perineal or transpubic perineoabdominal procedure should be used. In the presence of a competent bladder neck, anastomotic surgery does not result in urinary incontinence. Impotence is usually related to the original trauma and rarely （5.7 % ） to urethroplasty.     

Repair of the difficult posterior urethral stricture

Summary Fewer than 10% of strictures which follow pelvic fracture will be complex, the vast majority being amenable to simple perineal anastomotic repair. The complex strictures are best managed in a center experienced in their care and a variety of maneuvers are used for their correction. One-stage anastomotic repairs are still optimal and are applicable to most cases, however, the surgeon must be prepared to elaborate the procedure depending on the intraoperative findings. Substitution urethroplasties (one- or two-stage vascularized flaps) are reserved for salvage in cases in which associated anterior urethral pathology or long urethral defects preclude an anastomotic procedure. Erectile dysfunction and incontinence which may accompany more severe injuries are now manageable by prosthetic and other techniques.     

Imaging of the male urethra for stricture disease

Imaging of the urethra for suspected stricture disease should initially consist of conventional imaging with a dynamic RUG. It is easy to perform and detects clinically relevant strictures involving the anterior urethra and those with extension into the membranous urethra. Additional studies, including antegrade imaging, sonographic urethrography, and MRI are best used in conjunction with RUG as clinically indicated to better define the extent of disease and assist in guiding reconstruction. Post-operatively, VCUG is appropriate to evaluate complete healing and adequacy of repair. Sonourethrography is a simple technique that provides a dynamic, precise assessment of anterior urethral strictures. It is best employed as a staging study in men with known symptomatic strictures in whom the need for operative therapy is clear. For short bulbar strictures ultrasound is more accurate in measuring stricture length than conventional radiographic RUG and is therefore helpful in determining whether to excise or graft. For long or complex strictures assessment of the stricture's diameter may be helpful in determining flap width or in identifying the focal urethral segments to be excised. The simplicity, precision, and availability of sonography along with the absence of radiation exposure make sonourethrography a valuable staging tool for the reconstructive urologist. MRI is valuable for defining the distorted pelvic anatomy that is frequently associated with posterior urethral strictures resulting from trauma. By determining the location of the prostate and the length of the prostatomembranous defect, MRI may help determine whether a transperineal or transpubic approach for reconstruction is necessary.     

Perineal transpubic repair: a technique for treating post-traumatic prostatomembranous urethral strictures

A perineal, 1-stage, end-to-end anastomotic repair is the preferred method to treat short (2 cm. or less) prostatomembranous urethral strictures. For longer strictures a combined perineal and abdominal transpubic approach is required. We describe a technique that has allowed a 1-stage perineal repair of such strictures, up to 5 cm. long, by wedge excision of the inferior portion of the pubis. This technique has been used in 4 patients with prostatomembranous strictures 2 to 5 cm. long. The results were uniformly good in all of these patients.     

Complex urethral disruptions: In pursuit of a successful reconstruction

OBJECTIVES: We analyzed the methods and outcomes of urethroplasty in men with complex urethral disruptions. METHODS: The medical records of 40 men with complex urethral disruptions were analyzed. Surgical methods were individualized according to stricture location, severity and length of the stricture, bladder neck characteristics and presence of complicating factors. Patients were divided into four groups based on the above characteristics. RESULTS: End-to-end urethroplasty performed in six patients with short bulbar strictures (<3 cm) was successful in all. Elaborated perineal repair was performed in 10 patients with intermediate (3-6 cm) strictures with or without complicating factors. Elaborated perineal repair with urethral substitution was performed in nine patients with long segment stricture (>6 cm). Abdominal transpubic repair was successfully applied to patients with rectourethral fistula or lacerated bladder neck. Success rate of anastomotic urethroplasty was 95% while over all success rate was 85%. CONCLUSION: Guidelines for urethral reconstruction of complex urethral disruptions are predicated on stricture length, location, bladder neck characteristics and associated complicating factors. End-to-end urethroplasty with stricture excision is highly reliable for short strictures for which previous operative repair have failed. Elaborated perineal repair is extremely versatile for intermediate and longer strictures with associated complicating factors. Abdominal transpubic urethroplasty is effective for patients with rectourethral fistula or lacerated bladder neck.     

One-stage urethroplasty for bulbomembranous urethral strictures

Summary A total of 23 patients with bulbomembranous urethral strictures (16 after pelvic fractures, 4 following direct perineal trauma, 3 after catheter drainage) were treated with a perineal one-stage anastomotic urethroplasty. The length of the stricture did not exceed 2 cm. The overall final success rate amounted to 95.6%. The one-stage perineal approach is recommended for short strictures of up to 2 cm in length, if mobilization of the distal urethra is possible and the periurethral scar tissue can be resected.     

Transpubic-perineal urethral reconstruction in boys using a substitution graft.

A combined transpubic-perineal 1-stage approach was used for urethral replacement and proximal urethral repair in 6 boys: 4 were treated for a long proximal urethral stricture secondary to trauma and 2 with urethral atresia underwent replacement of the entire anterior urethra. All patients underwent a urethral substitution graft of either skin or bladder mucosa. Followup ranged from 2 to 8 years with all patients continent.     

Posterior urethral reconstruction

Summary The posterior prostatomembranous urethral stricture or distraction defect has historically been the most formidable challenge of stricture surgery. This uncommon lesion occurs most often as the sequelae of pelvic fracture injuries, or straddle trauma, and is associated with serious urethral disruption and separation – an injury that is often complicted by inappropriate initial management using substitution skin flap techniques with the development of recurrent stenosis, irreversible impotence, and occasional incontinence. Management by endoscopic techniques may be possible in patients with short strictures or in those after prostatectomy, but they rarely play a role in resolving the complex obliterated urethra with a significant defect [1]. Resolution of post-traumatic posterior urethral distraction defects and other posterior urethral pathologic conditions has dramatically improved over the past two decades despite an inaccessible subpublic location involving exposed sphincter-active and erectile neurovascular anatomy. The contemporary, perineal, one-stage bulboprostatic anastomotic operation as popularized by Turner-Warwick [20] with selective scar excision is a versatile procedure with a high patent lumen success. Patients undergoing anastomotic urethroplasty have a substained patent urethral lumen success rate approaching 100 % versus those who have undergone urethral skin flap or patch repair, where the restricture rate in 5 and 10 years increases twofold to threefold [1, 20]. A patent urethra after an anastomotic urethroplasty at 6 months is free from further recurrent stricture and gives credence to Mr. Turner-Warwick's admonition that “urethra is the best substitute for urethra”.      

MANAGEMENT OF OBLITERATIVE POSTTRAUMATIC POSTERIOR URETHRAL STRICTURES AFTER FAILED INITIAL URETHROPLASTY

Purpose

We evaluate the problems encountered during surgery and assess the results of different endoscopic and open surgical methods following failed urethroplasty for posttraumatic posterior urethral stricture.

Materials and Methods

Since 1992 we have treated 23 patients in whom urethroplasty for posterior urethral strictures failed. Of these patients, 3 had undergone 2 previous repairs and 6 had additional complicating factors, such as fistula, periurethral cavity and false passage. End-to-end anastomosis was done in 14 patients via a transperineal (7) or transpubic (7) approach. In 1 patient substitution urethroplasty using a radial artery based forearm free flap was performed. In 3 patients a 2-stage urethroplasty was done, 4 underwent core-through optical internal urethrotomy and 1 underwent endoscopic marsupialization of a false passage.

Results

At 1 to 5-year followup 3 of the 23 patients had restenoses (13%), including 2 in whom previous treatment failed. The remaining 87% of the patients void well and are continent, and there is no worsening of the preexisting potency status.

Conclusions

Previous failed urethral stricture repair complicates management due to fibrosis, impaired vascularity and limited urethra available for mobilization. Recurrent strictures less than 1.5 cm. can be managed successfully with core-through internal urethrotomy. End-to-end anastomosis is possible in the majority with generous use of inferior pubectomy or the transpubic approach with certain modifications. When residual inflammation or long strictures are present a 2-stage procedure is a safer option. Overall, reoperation can offer a successful outcome for the majority of these complex strictures.     

Anterior urethroplasty--changing concepts.

The management of complex anterior urethral strictures, not amendable to dilatation or internal urethromotomy, is difficult. Our experience of treating long strictures of anterior urethra with one-stage urethroplasty in 16 cases and two-stage Johanson's in 12 cases are reviewed here. The strictures had varied etiology and many were associated with fistula, diverticulum, etc. Three cases had concomitant posterior urethral strictures and were managed by one-stage anterior and posterior urethroplasty simultaneously. The one-stage repair was done using vascularized flap of longitudinal ventral penile skin in most cases. Transverse scrotal flap and Duckket's transverse preputial flap were utilized in 2 cases each. In one-stage repair success was 100% and in two-stage repair it was 75%. Our preference is now for one-stage repair irrespective of length and number of strictures.     

The radiographic approach to injuries of the prostatomembranous urethra in children.

We favor initial non-operative treatment (suprapubic cystostomy drainage only) for prostatomenbranous urethral injuries in children and adolescents. Non-operative treatment usually results in uncomplicated strictures that can be corrected by a 1-stage transperineal or transpublic operation 4 to 6 months later. A hands-off diagnostic approach, which relies on excretory urography and retrograde injection urethrography to demonstrate partial and complete tears, eliminates the need for blind passage of catheters, an invasive procedure that may lead to complicated strictures unsuitable for a 1-stage repair. If a 1-stage repair is planned it is necessary to determine the length of the stricture, whether there are local complications and whether the anterior urethra can be widely mobilized. The radiographic techniques used to plan a corrective operation and to evaluate the results are described.     

Staged pendulous-prostatic anastomotic urethroplasty followed by reconstruction of the anterior urethra: an effective treatment for long-segment bulbar and membranous urethral stricture

OBJECTIVES: To describe a novel surgical technique for male long-segment urethral stricture after pelvic trauma using the intact and pedicled pendulous urethra to replace the bulbar and membranous urethra, followed by reconstruction of the anterior urethra. METHODS: Two patients with long-segment post-traumatic bulbar and membranous urethral strictures with short left pendulous urethras who had undergone several failed previous surgeries were treated with staged pendulous-prostatic anastomotic urethroplasty followed by reconstruction of the anterior urethra. This procedure was divided into three stages. First-stage surgery was mobilization of the anterior urethra down to the coronary sulcus and then rerouted to the prostatic urethra followed by pendulous-prostatic anastomotic urethroplasty with transposition of the penis to the perineum. Second-stage surgery was transecting the anterior urethra at the revascularised coronary sulcus 6 mo later, followed by straightening of the penis and urethroperineostomy. Third-stage surgery was reconstruction of the anterior urethra 6 mo later. RESULTS: Postoperatively, the two patients reported satisfactory voiding. For patient 1, retrograde urethrography showed that the urethra was patent, and that the mean maximal flow rate (MFR) was 18.4 ml/s with no postvoiding residual urine after the third-stage surgery and at 3-yr follow-up. For patient 2, a 22F urethral catheter could pass smoothly through the urethra, and the MFR was 19.5 ml/s with no postvoiding residual urine at 2-yr follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This procedure was an effective surgical option for men with complex long-segment post-traumatic bulbar and membranous urethral strictures, especially for those who had undergone failed previous surgical treatments.     

Optimal management of the 3- to 6-centimeter anterior urethral stricture

The optimal management of anterior urethral stricture that does not respond to an endoscopic urethrotomy or is found to be unsuitable for excision and anastomotic repair remains controversial. Genital skin island onlay flaps or buccal mucosal grafts are presently the most dependable single stage procedures used for strictures more than 3 cm in length. Nonhirsute penile island fasciocutaneous flaps constitute the most durable substitution technique for pendulous stricture disease, with long-term studies reporting 90% to 96% success. The complex proximal bulb and bulbomenbraneous stricture with a compromised proximal fibrous avascular bed is ideally managed with either a penile or scrotal island flap or some combination of partial urethral excision with a dorsally placed genital skin island. The buccal mucosal onlay graft is a promising addition to this reconstructive paradigm, and early outcomes have been favorable. The graft is presently used for bulbar strictures, avoiding the transsphincteric on pendulous location, or a compromised recipient bed. The present standard of care for proximal bulb strictures is wide bulbospongiosal mobilization, partial urethral excision, a floor strip anastomosis, and placement of an augmenting flap on the graft in a dorsal location.     

Perineal anastomotic urethroplasty for managing post-traumatic urethral strictures in children: the long-term outcome

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the long‐term results of one‐stage perineal anastomotic urethroplasty for post‐traumatic paediatric urethral strictures.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirty‐five boys who had a perineal anastomotic urethroplasty for post‐traumatic bulbous or posterior urethral strictures between 1991 and 2003 were analysed retrospectively. Patients were followed up for a mean (range) of 46 (6–132) months by a history, urinary flow rate estimate, retrograde urethrography and voiding cysto‐urethrography.

RESULTS

The mean (range) age of the patients was 11.9 (6–18) years. The estimated radiographic stricture length before surgery was 2.6 (1–5) cm. The perineal anastomotic repair was successful in 31 of 35 (89%) patients. All treatment failures were at the anastomosis and were within the first year. Failed repairs were successfully managed endoscopically in two patients and by repeat perineal anastomotic repair in the remaining two, giving a final success rate of 100%. All boys are continent except two who had early stress incontinence, and that resolved with time. There was no chordee, penile shortening or urethral diverticula during the follow‐up.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall success of a one‐stage perineal anastomotic repair of post‐traumatic urethral strictures in boys is excellent, with minimal morbidity. Substitution urethroplasty or abdomino‐perineal repair should be reserved for the occasional patients with concomitant anterior urethral stricture disease or a complex posterior urethral stricture, respectively.

     

Buccal mucosal urethroplasty for balanitis xerotica obliterans related urethral strictures: the outcome of 1 and 2-stage techniques

PURPOSE: Balanitis xerotica obliterans (BXO) related strictures are complex and generally managed by 2-staged urethroplasty. We present our results with 1-stage dorsal onlay and 2-stage buccal mucosal urethroplasty for such strictures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2000 and April 2004, 39 patients underwent buccal mucosal urethroplasty for BXO related anterior urethral strictures. The 25 patients with a salvageable urethral plate (group 1) were treated with 1-stage dorsal onlay urethroplasty using a cosmetic incision. The 14 patients with a severely scarred urethral plate, focally dense segments or active infection (group 2) underwent 2-stage urethroplasty. Outcomes in terms of cosmetic appearance, stricture recurrence and complications in the 2 groups were assessed. RESULTS: At a mean followup of 32.5 months (range 3 to 52) 3 patients (12%) in group 1 had recurrent stricture, of which 2 and 1 were treated with optical urethrotomy and urethral dilation, respectively. All patients had a normal slit-like meatus and none had chordee or erectile dysfunction. Four group 2 patients (28.6%) required stomal revision and 2 had glans cleft narrowing after stage 1 urethroplasty. Following stage 2, 3 patients had recurrent stricture, of whom 2 were treated with optical urethrotomy and 1 underwent repeat urethroplasty. CONCLUSIONS: In BXO related strictures with a viable urethral plate 1-stage dorsal onlay buccal mucosal urethroplasty provides excellent intermediate term results. The cosmetic incision described provides a normal, wide caliber, slit-like glans. Two-stage procedures provide satisfactory outcomes but they are associated with a higher revision rate.     

螺旋CT尿道三维重建诊断后尿道狭窄或闭锁

目的 探讨螺旋CT尿道三维重建技术在后尿道狭窄或闭锁诊断中的应用价值.方法 对30例创伤性后尿道狭窄或闭锁患者术前行螺旋CT薄层扫描和尿道三维重建、X线尿道造影,观察狭窄或闭锁部位、长度以及尿道周围组织解剖结构的改变,并与开放性手术中发现的结果进行对比研究.结果 X线尿道造影检测狭窄或闭锁段长度为1.0～7.0 cm,平均4.0 cm,狭窄或闭锁长度相关系数为0.92,定位准确率为70%(21/30);螺旋CT尿道三维重建检测狭窄或闭锁段长度为1.2～7.6 cm,平均4.3 cm,狭窄或闭锁长度相关系数为0.96,定位准确率为93%(28/30);术中发现后尿道狭窄或闭锁长度为1.5～7.5 cm,平均4.2 cm.5例合并尿道直肠瘘者螺旋CT尿道三维重建可以清楚显示瘘管位置、长度及大小;X线尿道造影则无法清楚显示.结论 螺旋CT尿道三维重建对了解伤后尿道的解剖结构改变、测量尿道狭窄或闭锁部位和长度、指导手术方式选择有较高价值,尤其对合并尿道直肠瘘者有重要的诊断意义.     

Posttraumatic complete and partial loss of urethra with pelvic fracture in girls: an appraisal of management

PURPOSE: Urethral injury in girls accompanying fracture of the pelvis is rare. We present our experience with 5 such complex cases and review the literature to define the types of problem and determine appropriate management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We report on 5 girls with posttraumatic urethral injuries and pelvic fracture resulting in stricture as well as management based on the site and length of urethral stricture. Associated injuries and results are discussed. RESULTS: Of the 5 girls who presented with stricture 4 had undergone suprapubic cystostomy as initial treatment, whereas in 1 primary repair had failed. Urethral reconstruction using a bladder flap tube and distal urethrotomy into the vagina were performed in 3 and 1 cases, respectively. These 4 girls were continent although 1 required clean intermittent catheterization for a short period. The 3 patients with complete urethral loss had a more severe degree of pelvic fracture, including 1 treated with core through internal urethrotomy. CONCLUSIONS: Posttraumatic urethral injury accompanying pelvic fracture in young girls results in challenging management situations. More severely displaced pelvic fracture is associated with greater urethral loss and requires more complex repair. Cases of partial urethral injury or urethral transection without much displacement are better managed by primary repair of the transected urethra, which decreases morbidity. Primary repair may not be feasible in patients with extensive injury, who should be treated with secondary appropriate reconstruction after preliminary suprapubic cystostomy. Complete urethral loss may be managed by bladder flap tube neourethra creations with effective continence and excellent outcomes. Short segment distal urethral strictures may be treated with meatotomy or core through internal urethrotomy.