Objectives: To analyze functional outcomes and complication rates of artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) implantation in patients who had undergone buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty (BMGU) beforehand.
Patients and methods: This prospectively maintained single-center database comprises data from 236 patients from 2009 to 2015 who underwent AUS implantation. A total of 17 patients after BMGU were available for analysis. Primary endpoints consisted of continence and complication rates. Continence was defined as no use of safety pads, social continence as < 2 pads per day. Stricture recurrence was defined as a decrease in uroflowmetry, a maximum flow rate < 10 ml/s or residual urine volume (> 100 ml). Kaplan-Meier analysis determined explantation-free survival.
Results: Median follow-up was 24 months (interquartile range [IQR] 6-31 months). Indication for AUS implantation was severe urinary incontinence with a history of radical prostatectomy (RRP) in 8 (47.1%), trauma in 1 (5.9%) and TUR-P in 8 (47.1%) patients. Pelvic irradiation was reported in 13 (76.5%) cases. The median length of buccal mucosa graft for urethroplasty was 4 cm (3-5 cm). A double cuff was implanted in 14 patients (82.4%), 3 patients received a single cuff. Complete and social continence was achieved in 76.5% and 100% of the patients, respectively. There was no significant difference in complications and explantation-free survival (log-rank, p = 0.191) between patients who had undergone BMGU before AUS compared to patients with no history of BMGU.
Conclusions: According to the prospective follow-up data in a homogenous cohort, AUS implantation seems to be a viable, safe and effective therapeutic strategy for incontinence treatment despite previous BMGU.
Keywords: AMS 800; Artificial urinary sphincter; Buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty; Postprostatectomy stress urinary incontinence; Reconstructive urology.