Purpose

Approximately 10% to 20% of patients will have a recurrence after urethroplasty. Initial management of these recurrences is often by urethral dilation or direct vision internal urethrotomy. In the current study we describe the outcomes of endoscopic management of stricture recurrence after bulbar urethroplasty.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively reviewed bulbar urethroplasty data from 5 surgeons in the TURNS (Trauma and Urologic Reconstruction Network of Surgeons). Men who underwent urethral dilation or direct vision internal urethrotomy for urethroplasty recurrence were identified. Recurrence was defined as the inability to pass a 17Fr cystoscope through the area of reconstruction. The primary outcome was the success rate of recurrence management. Comparisons were made between urethral dilation and direct vision internal urethrotomy, and then between endoscopic management of recurrences after excision and primary anastomosis urethroplasty vs substitutional repairs using time to event statistics.

Results

In 53 men recurrence was initially managed endoscopically. Median time to urethral stricture recurrence after urethroplasty was 5 months. At a median followup of 5 months the overall success rate was 42%. Success after urethral dilation was significantly less than after direct vision internal urethrotomy (1 of 10 patients or 10% vs 21 of 43 or 49%, p <0.001) with a failure HR of 3.15 (p = 0.03). Direct vision internal urethrotomy was more effective after substitutional failure than after excision and primary anastomosis urethroplasty (53% vs 13%, p = 0.005).

Conclusions

Direct vision internal urethrotomy was more successful than urethral dilation in the management of stricture recurrence after bulbar urethroplasty. Direct vision internal urethrotomy was more successful in patients with recurrence after substitution urethroplasty compared to after excision and primary anastomosis urethroplasty. Perhaps this indicates a different mechanism of recurrence for excision and primary anastomosis urethroplasty (ischemic) vs substitution urethroplasty (nonischemic).