Immediate Management of Posterior Urethral Disruptions Due to Pelvic Fracture: Therapeutic Alternatives

Purpose

We retrospectively reviewed the results of 3 types of initial management of pelvic fracture urethral disruption in children.

Materials and Methods

From 1980 to 1994, 35 boys 2 to 15 years old (mean age 8.1) with prostatomembranous urethral disruption were treated, including 17 who also had associated injuries. Immediate treatment included suprapubic cystostomy and delayed urethroplasty in 19 patients (group 1), urethral catheter alignment without traction and concomitant suprapubic cystostomy in 10 (group 2), and primary retropubic anastomotic urethroplasty in 6 (group 3).

Results

In all patients in groups 1 and 2 severe urethral obliteration developed. Four group 3 patients (66%) had a stricture at the site of anastomotic repair. After delayed urethroplasty 16 group 1 (84%) and all 10 group 2 patients were continent. However, only 3 group 3 patients (50%) achieved continence. Retrospectively associated bladder neck injury occurred in 5 of the 6 incontinent boys. Erections were observed before and after treatment in all but 3 children. Unstable pelvic ring fractures (type IV) comprised 28% of all pelvic fractures with a high rate of associated injuries.

Conclusions

As described, urethral alignment was not beneficial for avoiding urethral obliteration. Therefore we recommend suprapubic cystostomy as the only form of initial treatment in these cases. Urinary incontinence seems more likely related to associated bladder neck rupture and the severity of pelvic fracture rather than to initial treatment or delayed urethral repair. Consequently, when associated bladder neck injury is present, we advocate immediate surgical repair.