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In light of recently published international guidelines concerning the diagnosis, treatment, and aftercare of urethral strictures and stenoses, the objective of this study was to synthesize an overview of guideline recommendations provided by the American Urological Association (AUA, 2023), the Société Internationale d'Urologie (SIU, 2010), and the European Association of Urology (EAU, 2023). The recommendations offered by these three associations, as well as the guidelines addressing urethral trauma from the EAU, AUA, and the Urological Society of India (USI), were assessed in terms of their guidance on posterior urethral stenosis. On the whole, the recommendations from the various guidelines exhibit considerable alignment. However, SIU and EAU place a stronger emphasis on the role of repeated endoscopic treatment compared to AUA. The preferred approach for managing radiation-induced bulbomembranous stenosis remains a subject of debate. Furthermore, endoscopic treatments enhanced with intralesional therapies may potentially serve as a significant treatment modality for addressing even fully obliterated stenoses., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

In recent years, several international urological societies have published guidelines on the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of urethral strictures, but a guideline for the German-speaking region has not been available to date. This summary provides a detailed comparison of the guidelines of the European Association of Urology (EAU), American Urological Association (AUA) and the Société Internationale d'Urologie (SIU) with regard to the treatment of anterior urethral strictures, i.e. from the bulbar urethra to the meatus. In the following work, differences and specific recommendations in the guidelines are highlighted. In particular, the three guidelines largely agree with regard to diagnostic workup and follow-up. However, divergences exist in the management of anterior urethral strictures, particularly with regard to the use of endoscopic therapeutic approaches and the use of urethral stents. In addition, the EAU provides more comprehensive and detailed recommendations on urethroplasty techniques and specific patient follow-up. The EAU guidelines are the most current and were the first to include instructions for urethral strictures in women and individuals with gender incongruence after genital approximation surgery. Reconstructive urology is a rapidly evolving specialty and, thus, the clinical approach has been changing accordingly. Although guideline recommendations have become more inclusive and comprehensive, more high-quality data are needed to further improve the level of evidence., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

Purpose: To evaluate the interplay of stricture recurrence, sexual function, and treatment satisfaction after substitution urethroplasty., Methods: Observational study of men undergoing 1-stage buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty for anterior urethral stricture between 2009 and 2016. Patients were dichotomized by self-reported treatment satisfaction. Sexual function was assessed by validated and non-validated patient-reported outcome measures. Functional recurrence was defined as symptomatic need of re-intervention. Bivariate analyses, Kaplan-Meier estimates, qualitative and quantitative analyses by uni- and multivariable regression were employed to evaluate the interplay of sexual function, functional recurrence, and treatment satisfaction., Results: Of 534 men with bulbar (82%), penobulbar (11%), and penile strictures (7.3%), 451 (84%) were satisfied with the surgery. There were no differences in stricture location, previous treatment, graft length, or surgical technique between satisfied and unsatisfied patients (all p  ≥  0.2). Recurrence-free survival was 85% at a median follow-up of 33 mo and decreased significantly with each Likert item towards increasing dissatisfaction (p  <  0.001). Dissatisfied patients more often reported postoperative loss of rigidity, tumescence, reduced ejaculatory volume, ejaculatory pain, and reduced penile length (all p  ≤  0.042). In 83 dissatisfied men, functional recurrence (28%) and oral morbidity (20%) were the main drivers of dissatisfaction in qualitative analysis. Multivariable analyses revealed functional recurrence and impaired postoperative ejaculatory function as independent predictors of treatment dissatisfaction (all p  ≤  0.029) after adjusting for confounders., Conclusion: We found an association of both functional success and sexual function with patient-reported treatment satisfaction after substitution urethroplasty. Such findings validate the clinical significance of defining the symptomatic need for re-intervention as an endpoint and underline the importance of further research evaluating sexual function before and after open urethral reconstruction., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of cardiovascular, metabolic and smoking related risk factors on recurrence in patients with buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty for anterior urethral strictures., Patients and Methods: Retrospective single-center analysis between 2009 and 2016. Covariates included American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score, body mass index, and smoking status (never vs ever), coronary artery disease, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, change in hemoglobin, creatinine, c-reactive protein, and leucocyte count. Descriptive and survival analyses evaluated the association with stricture recurrence., Results: Overall, 1039 patients had buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty of which 517 remained for final analysis. Patients with stricture recurrence (n = 76) were significantly older (P < .001), had a higher American Society of Anesthesiology score (P = .006), higher proportion coronary artery disease (P = .011), and hypertension (P = .003) compared to those patients without stricture recurrence. Patients without stricture recurrence had a significantly larger drop in hemoglobin (1.5 [0.9, 2.1] vs 1.2 [0.7, 1.8]) mg/dl ( = .005).Overall stricture-free recurrence rate was 86%, with a median follow-up of 32 (95% confidence interval: 26-30) months. In multivariable analysis, a larger drop of hemoglobin remained the only independent, statistically significant negative predictor of stricture recurrence (Hazard ratio, 95% confidence interval: 0.74, 0.57-0.97, P = .03)., Conclusion: A larger drop of hemoglobin is independently associated with recurrence free survival. This may be considered as a surrogate marker for good microvascular circulation of the corpus spongiosum and therefore neovascularization of the graft. Contrary to the existing and mostly heterogenous previous studies, our findings suggest that stricture recurrence is largely independent of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To evaluate objective treatment success and subjective patient-reported outcomes in patients with radiation-induced urethral strictures undergoing single-stage urethroplasty., Patients and Methods: Monocentric study of patients who underwent single-stage ventral onlay buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty for a radiation-induced stricture between January 2009 and December 2016. Patients were characterized by descriptive analyses. Kaplan-Meier estimates were employed to plot recurrence-free survival. Recurrence was defined as any subsequent urethral instrumentation (dilation, urethrotomy, urethroplasty). Patient-reported functional outcomes were evaluated using the validated German extension of the Urethral Stricture Surgery Patient-Reported Outcome Measure (USS PROM)., Results: Overall, 47 patients were available for final analyses. Median age was 70 (IQR 65-74). Except for two, all patients had undergone pelvic radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Predominant modality was external beam radiation therapy in 70% of patients. Stricture recurrence rate was 33% at a median follow-up of 44 months (IQR 28-68). In 37 patients with available USS PROM data, mean six-item LUTS score was 7.2 (SD 4.3). Mean ICIQ sum score was 9.8 (SD 5.4). Overall, 53% of patients reported daily leaking and of all, 26% patients underwent subsequent artificial urinary sphincter implantation. Mean IIEF-EF score was 4.4 (SD 7.1), indicating severe erectile dysfunction. In 38 patients with data regarding the generic health status and treatment satisfaction, mean EQ-5D index score and EQ VAS score was 0.91 (SD 0.15) and 65 (SD 21), respectively. Overall, 71% of patients were satisfied with the outcome., Conclusion: The success rate and functional outcome after BMGU for radiation-induced strictures were reasonable. However, compared to existing long-term data on non-irradiated patients, the outcome is impaired and patients should be counseled accordingly.

Objectives: To describe the operative technique and report outcomes from the largest series of patients who underwent single-stage dorsal inlay buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty (BMGU) for isolated meatal stenoses and fossa navicularis strictures., Patients and Methods: First, we evaluated patients who underwent single-stage BMGU for distal urethral strictures (meatus and fossa navicularis) between 2009 and 2016 at our department. Clinical and surgical characteristics were prospectively collected in an institutional database. Recurrence was defined as symptomatic need of any instrumentation during follow-up, was retrospectively assessed by patient interview, and recurrence-free survival was plotted using Kaplan-Meier curves. Second, a systematic literature review was performed through Medline to summarize the available evidence on distal urethroplasty using flaps or grafts., Results: Of 32 patients, 16 (50%) presented with a hypospadias-associated stricture, followed by seven (22%), five (16%), and four (13%) patients with iatrogenic, inflammatory, and congenital strictures, respectively. At a median follow-up of 42 months (IQR 23-65), single-stage dorsal inlay BMGU was successful in 22 patients (69%), and estimated recurrence-free survival rates were 79% and 74% at 12 and 24 months, respectively. Overall, 62 patients from five studies in the literature review underwent BMGU for isolated distal strictures and success rates ranged from 56 to 100%., Conclusion: Recurrent meatal stenoses and fossa navicularis strictures represent some of the most complex uro-reconstructive challenges. Inlay BMGU proves to be a valid and efficient last-resort single-stage technique. However, higher recurrence risk must be considered and staged urethroplasty should be discussed individually. Prospective randomized controlled trials are needed to prove the superiority of flaps, grafts or staged approaches over each other in this context.

Purpose: To critically report outcomes from a contemporary series of patients undergoing single-stage Asopa dorsal inlay urethroplasty for penile stricture., Methods: First, we retrospectively evaluated patients who underwent Asopa urethroplasty for penile stricture between 2009 and 2016 at our department. Clinical and surgical characteristics were compared across treatment groups (proximal penile, mid-penile, distal penile). Recurrence-free survival was plotted using Kaplan-Meier curves. Treatment satisfaction was assessed using a validated outcome measurement tool. Second, a literature review was performed through Medline to summarize the available evidence on Asopa urethroplasty and put our own results into context., Results: Of 125 patients, 38 (30%), 74 (59%), and 13 (10%) had distal penile, mid-penile, and proximal penile stricture, respectively. Patients with distal strictures were younger and graft length was shorter compared to other groups (P ≤ 0.009). The majority of strictures were iatrogenic (38%), followed by hypospadias related (24%), congenital (17%), traumatic (10%), inflammatory (9%), and post-infectious strictures (2.4%). At a median follow-up of 36 months, overall success rate was 70%. In sensitivity analyses, success rates were only marginally improved to 71% after exclusion of hypospadias- and lichen sclerosus-associated strictures. Patients with mid-penile strictures were significantly more satisfied compared to other groups. Overall, 272 patients from 9 studies in the literature review underwent Asopa urethroplasty and success rates ranged from 73 to 100%., Conclusions: Success rates of Asopa urethroplasty in penile strictures are lower than previously reported. This is most likely due to both complex stricture etiology and surgical history and last resort single-stage surgery in many cases. Pre-operative counseling must consider high recurrence risk and staged urethroplasty should be discussed in selective cases to optimize patient satisfaction.

Purpose: We sought to characterize a standardized postoperative radiographic and functional voiding trial, and determine its impact on outcomes after substitution urethroplasty., Materials and Methods: This is an observational, monocenter study of men who underwent 1-stage ventral onlay buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty for bulbar urethral stricture between January 2009 and December 2016. Patients were stratified by voiding trial success vs failure, including radiographic (extravasation or residual narrowness) and functional (post-void residual volume greater than 100 ml) failure, 21 days postoperatively. End points were voiding trial failure and recurrence-free survival. Regression models were created to determine risk factors of voiding trial failure and evaluate the impact of voiding trial failure on recurrence., Results: The voiding trial succeeded and failed in 437 (85.2%) and 76 (14.8%), respectively, of 513 men. Of the latter men 54 (71.1%) showed evidence of extravasation and 22 (28.9%) had residual narrowness or functional failure. On multivariable logistic regression analyses no preoperative predictor of voiding trial failure was found (all p >0.05). At a median followup of 32 months Kaplan-Meier analyses (log rank test p = 0.033) and multivariable Cox regression analyses (HR 1.86, p = 0.037) revealed an association of voiding trial failure and stricture recurrence. When further stratifying voiding trial failure, residual narrowness or functional failure (HR 4.60, p <0.001) but not extravasation (HR 1.08, p = 0.9) was a risk factor for recurrence. Limitations include the retrospective assessment of investigated end points., Conclusions: Residual narrowness or functional failure at an early voiding trial after buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty may predict stricture recurrence. Identifying intraoperative complexity factors predicting initial voiding trial failure might be a key to identifying those individuals with early recurrence.

Purpose: We compared the results of initial buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty to the results of repeat and secondary cases of previous urethroplasty done by any technique other than buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty., Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective study of patients who underwent buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty between January 2009 and December 2016 at a high volume center. Patients were stratified according to surgical sequence and characteristics were compared. We plotted Kaplan-Meier curves to compare stricture recurrence-free survival according to the surgical sequence. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed to delineate the impact of the surgical sequence on recurrence-free survival after adjusting for known clinical and surgical confounders., Results: Of 534 men with a median followup of 33 months (IQR 17-52) 436 (81.6%), 64 (12.0%) and 34 (6.4%) underwent an initial, a repeat and a secondary procedure, respectively. Patient characteristics were comparable (each p ≥0.2). Patients with reoperative procedures had received more previous endoscopic interventions and were more often operated on by high volume surgeons (each p ≤0.021). Operative time, graft length, stricture location and surgical techniques were comparable (each p ≥0.1). The success rate of initial, repeat and secondary procedures was 87.4%, 87.5% and 70.6%, respectively. On survival analyses patients who underwent secondary procedures fared worse than those who underwent repeat or initial procedures (p = 0.010). Similarly a secondary procedure was an independent risk factor for recurrence (HR 2.42, 95% CI 1.03-5.68, p = 0.043)., Conclusions: We found excellent results for repeat anterior 1-stage buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty, comparable to those of initial procedures. Patients who underwent secondary procedures were at higher risk for recurrence. However, when performed at a specialized center, the success rate was still high., (Copyright © 2018 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Optimal surgical management of the buccal mucosa harvest site in patients with urethral stricture disease during buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty (BMGU) remains controversial., Objective: To analyze in detail intensity and quality of pain as well as oral morbidity following closure (C) versus nonclosure (NC) of the donor site., Design, Setting, and Participants: Randomized controlled trial on 135 patients treated with BMGU between October 15, 2014 and December 18, 2015., Intervention: Following computer-based randomization, 63 and 72 patients, respectively, received C and NC of the donor site at the inner cheek. Preoperatively, on days 1, 5, and 21 as well as at 3 and 6 mo postoperatively, patients completed standardized questionnaires, including validated questions on intensity and quality of pain as well as oral morbidity., Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: The coprimary end points were intensity and quality of oral pain. Secondary end points included oral morbidity and intensity of pain of the perineogenital region. Generalized linear mixed models evaluated the effect of various covariates on intensity and quality of oral pain, oral morbidity, as well as intensity of pain of the perineogenital region., Results and Limitations: There was noninferiority for NC versus C in intensity and affective quality of oral pain at every time point following BMGU. Oral morbidity and complications included pain, bleeding, swelling, numbness, alteration of salivation and taste, as well as impairment of mouth opening, smiling, whistling, diet, and speech. Time from BMGU had significant effects on intensity (p<0.001) and quality of oral pain (sensory pain: p<0.001, affective pain: p<0.001, total pain: p<0.001). Length of buccal mucosa graft had significant effects on intensity (p=0.001) and quality of oral pain (sensory pain: p=0.020, total pain: p=0.042)., Conclusions: NC is noninferior to C of the donor site in intensity and quality of oral pain, and offers a treatment alternative. Time from BMGU and length of the buccal mucosa graft have effects on oral morbidity and complications., Patient Summary: We investigated pain, morbidity, and complications following closure (C) versus nonclosure (NC) of the buccal mucosa harvest site in patients undergoing buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty (BMGU). We found that NC is not worse than C regarding oral pain. In addition, time from BMGU and length of the buccal mucosa graft have effects on oral morbidity and complications., (Copyright © 2017 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Distal urethral strictures comprise meatal or glandular stenoses and occur due to trauma, iatrogenic instrumentalization, infection, skin diseases such as lichen sclerosus or idiopathically. Given that 18% of anterior strictures (bulbar, penile, or glandular) are located in the very distal part, meatal/glandular stricture disease represents a non-negligible subgroup among all urethral strictures. The prevalence within Western industrialized countries is estimated to be approximately 0.6-0.9%, which translates into a total of 250,000 men being affected in Germany. Without any therapy, there is a severe risk of functional damage to the kidneys and the remaining urinary tract as well as significant reduction of quality of life. The therapeutic success of regaining sufficient micturition and a satisfying cosmetic result can only be obtained by means of surgical intervention. Besides dilatation and urethrotomy, preferably a single or multiple staged open urethroplasty with transplantation of autogenous genital or non-genital tissue can be performed. The choice of the appropriate surgical concept depends on stricture etiology, comorbidity status, and the patient's compliance. In case of histologically diagnosed lichen sclerosus, the use of genital skin should be avoided. To date, there are no universally accepted recommendations regarding the optimal use of substitution techniques. However, the use of oral mucosal tissue grafts seem to be the most promising, given low recurrence rates, and thus can be considered as the current gold standard.

Objective: To determine success rates, predictors of recurrence, and recurrence management of patients treated for short anterior urethral strictures by direct vision internal urethrotomy (DVIU)., Materials and Methods: We identified 128 patients who underwent DVIU of the anterior urethra between December 2009 and March 2016. Follow-up was conducted by telephone interviews. Success rates were assessed by Kaplan-Meier estimators. Predictors of stricture recurrence and different further therapy strategies were identified by uni- and multivariable Cox regression analyses., Results: The mean age was 63.8 years (standard deviation: 16.3) and the overall success rate was 51.6% (N = 66) at a median follow-up of 16 months (interquartile range: 6-43). Median time to stricture recurrence was six months (interquartile range: 2-12). In uni- and multivariable analyses, only repeat DVIU (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.13-3.11, P= .015; and HR=1.78, 95% CI = 1.05-3.03, P = .032, respectively) was a risk factor for recurrence. Of 62 patients with recurrence, 35.5% underwent urethroplasty, 29% underwent further endoscopic treatment, and 33.9% did not undergo further interventional therapy. Age (HR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.01-1.09, P = .019) and diabetes (HR = 2.90, 95% CI = 1.02-8.26, P = .047) were predictors of no further interventional therapy., Conclusion: DVIU seems justifiable in short urethral strictures as a primary treatment. Prior DVIU was a risk factor for recurrence. In case of recurrence, about one-third of the patients did not undergo any further therapy. Higher age and diabetes predicted the denial of any further treatment., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To determine the success rate, oral morbidity and functional outcomes of redo buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty (BMGU) for treatment of stricture recurrence after previous BMGU., Patients and Methods: We included 50 patients who underwent redo BMGU between February 2009 and September 2014. Patients' charts and non-validated questionnaires were reviewed. The primary endpoint was success rate, defined as stricture-free survival. Stricture recurrence was defined as any postoperative claims of catheterization, dilatation, urethrotomy or repeat urethroplasty, or a maximum urinary flow rate <15 mL/s, and a stricture was consecutively verified in a combined cysto-urethrogram or cystoscopy at annual follow-up visit. The secondary endpoint was oral morbidity. Additional endpoints were erectile function, urinary continence and patients' satisfaction., Results: Redo BMGU was performed for bulbar (71.4%) or penile (28.6%) recurrent strictures. The mean (median; range) follow-up was 25.6 (15.5; 3-70) months. Stricture recurrence occurred in 18.0% of patients within a mean (median; range) of 13.8 (9.0; 3-36) months. Stricture-free survival at 12, 24 and 36 months was 91.2, 86.2 and 80.8%, respectively. The majority of the patients (97.0%) reported no or only mildly changed salivation or problems in opening of the mouth. Severe or very severe oral numbness occurred in 13.5% of patients. Oral problems in daily life were a moderate or severe burden to 13.6 and 2.7% of the patients, respectively, while 75.0% of the patients reported improved quality of life compared with preoperative status., Conclusions: The success rate and oral morbidity of redo BMGU are almost the same as outcomes of primary BMGU. Oral numbness was the most frequently reported oral disorder., (© 2016 The Authors BJU International © 2016 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: To validate a German language version of the patient-reported outcome measurement (PROM) following urethral stricture surgery (USS) in a cohort of men undergoing one-stage buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty (BMGU) for urethral stricture. Furthermore, to explore the responsiveness of erectile function (EF) and urinary incontinence (UI) constructs in the context of this intervention., Methods: The USS-PROM captures voiding symptoms (ICIQ-MLUTS) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (EQ-5D). To evaluate EF and UI, the IIEF-5 and ICIQ-UI SF were included. Between March 2012 and April 2013, all patients undergoing BMGU at our institution were prospectively enrolled in this study. Psychometric assessment included internal consistency, test-retest reliability, criterion validity and responsiveness., Results: Ninety-three men completed the USS-PROM before and 3 months after surgery, with 40 (43 %) also completing the USS-PROM 6 months after surgery to assess reliability. Internal consistency: for the ICIQ-MLUTS, Cronbach's α was 0.83. The test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.94. There was a negative correlation between change in ICIQ-MLUTS total score and change in Q max (r = -0.40). All values exceeded our predefined thresholds. Significant improvements of voiding symptoms and HRQoL demonstrate responsiveness to change (all p values <0.001). While ICIQ-UI scores did not change (p > 0.05), IIEF-5 scores improved significantly (p = 0.048)., Conclusions: The German language USS-PROM shows similar psychometric properties to the English language version. This instrument can be improved by assessing EF by the use of IIEF-5. Further studies with larger patient cohorts are needed to evaluate the significance of measuring UI in urethroplasty patients.

Purpose: To determine the success rate of direct vision internal urethrotomy (DVIU) in the treatment of short stricture recurrence after buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty (BMGU)., Methods: Patients who underwent DVIU for the treatment of short, "veil-like" recurrent urethral strictures (<1 cm) after BMGU between October 2009 and 2013 were retrospectively identified within our urethroplasty database. Stricture recurrence was defined as maximum flow rate (Q max) <15 ml/s and a consecutively verified stricture in a combined retro- and antegrade voiding cystography or cystoscopy at a follow-up visit. The success rate of DVIU was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Univariable Cox regression analyses evaluated risk factors for stricture recurrence following DVIU., Results: Forty-three patients underwent DVIU for short stricture recurrence after BMGU for bulbar (81.3 %), penile (14.0 %) and membranous (4.7 %) strictures. Relapse had occurred proximally to the buccal mucosa graft in 28 (65.1 %) and distally in 12 (27.9 %) patients, respectively. At a mean follow-up of 11.7 (±9.7) months, stricture recurrence was observed in 48.8 % of our patients. Stricture recurrence was significantly associated with weak urinary stream (9.3 ml/s vs. no recurrence 19.5 ml/s) and patient dissatisfaction (66.7 % vs. no recurrence 18.1 %; both p < 0.001). The overall success rate was 60.5 % 15 months after DVIU. The main limitations of this study are its retrospective design, the small sample size and the short follow-up., Conclusions: DVIU after BMGU showed a moderate success rate and therefore might be a viable treatment option in selected patients with very short strictures after BMGU. However, longer follow-up is warranted to prove long-term effectiveness.

Purpose: We evaluated stricture-free survival and functional outcomes of buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty in patients with urethral stricture disease after radiotherapy., Materials and Methods: We reviewed our urethroplasty database for patients with a radiotherapy history who underwent buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty between January 2009 and October 2013. We reviewed patient charts and the institutional, standardized, nonvalidated questionnaires administered to each patient postoperatively. Study end points included 1) the success rate, 2) continence status, 3) erectile function and 4) patient satisfaction postoperatively. Success was defined as stricture-free survival., Results: Of 38 men included in the study prostate cancer was the most common indication for radiotherapy in 35 (92.1%). External beam radiotherapy was performed in 24 cases (64.9%), brachytherapy was done in 8 (21.6%) and a combination of the 2 treatments was performed in 6 (13.5%). Strictures were in the bulbar/bulbomembranous urethra and had a median length of 3.0 cm (range 1.0 to 8.0). The overall success rate was 71.1% at a median followup of 26.5 months (range 1.0 to 50.0). Median time to stricture recurrence was 17.0 months (range 3.0 to 44.0). De novo urinary incontinence was observed in 4 patients (10.5%). Erectile function remained mostly unchanged compared to preoperative status. Study limitations include the small sample size and the lack of validated questionnaires., Conclusions: At short-term to mid-term followup the success rate of ventral onlay buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty in patients with radiotherapy history seems acceptable. However, patients must be counseled about the increased risk of urinary incontinence. Longer followup is warranted to address long-term outcomes., (Copyright © 2015 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: Only few comparative reports about different urethroplasties have been published, addressing success rate (SR), adverse events (AE), and quality of life (QoL). Our purpose was to evaluate SR, AE, and QoL in a contemporary cohort of patients undergoing urethroplasty in the short-term follow-up (FU)., Patients and Methods: Between December 2008 and June 2010, 205 patients underwent urethroplasty for anterior urethral strictures at our institution. A standardized questionnaire was sent to all patients. The primary end point was SR. Secondary end points were AE and QoL. To assess the risk of SR, the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used. To assess risk factors for urethral stricture recurrence (SRec), univariable Cox regression analysis was used., Results: Overall, 140 (68%) patients responded to our questionnaire and were used for analysis. Of these 9%, 85%, and 6% were treated by excision and primary anastomosis (EPA), buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty (BMGU), and mesh graft urethroplasty (MGU), respectively. At 10 months of FU, SR was 87.5%. SRs of EPA, BMGU, and MGU were 100% (n=13/13), 85.7% (n=102/119), and 87.5% (n=7/8), with no significant differences between the groups. In univariable analysis, ≥ 2 vs 1 previous urethroplasties showed a trend toward a reduced SR (hazard risk 2.95; P=0.057). Streaking the urethra (P=0.024) and penile curvature (P=0.026) were significantly more often associated with MGU compared with EPA and BMGU. Postoperative total median (mean) scores were 3.5 (4.8) for the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Male lower urinary tract symptoms, 15 (15.2) for the International Index of Erectile Function, and 80 (73) for EuroQol visual analogue score; there was no difference between urethroplasty types., Conclusion: In the short-term FU, urethroplasty demonstrates an excellent SR. Specific SRs of EPA, BMGU, and MGU seem comparable. Despite significant differences in AE, patient reported QoL is high with no difference between the applied techniques.

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Urethral strictures can be treated by various methods, e.g. dilatation and endoscopic treatment, as well as with open surgery. However, transurethral treatment shows low long-time success rates, while open urethral reconstruction yields good long-term results. One of the standard procedures to reconstruct the strictured penile urethra is the Barbagli technique, which was introduced in 1996. However, a potential drawback of this technique is the suturing of the urethral margins to the second side of the graft, because the buccal mucosa is already fixed to the corpus cavernosum and the last line is sutured in the back side of the urethra out of sight. The present study aims to assess whether the functional results are compromised by a modified Barbagli technique, which enables a better visualisation of the mucosal margins while making the anastomosis, simplifying the original technique. OBJECTIVE To evaluate stricture recurrence rate as well as the satisfaction with the surgery of patients treated with a modified Barbagli technique published by our study group in 2009., PATIENTS AND METHODS Retrospective analysis by patient's chart review and unvalidated standardised questionnaire of patients treated by the modified Barbagli technique for urethral stricture between May 2008 and September 2010., In all, 22 patients were treated with the modified Barbagli technique for urethral stricture during this time, and 18 patients were available for follow-up., Previous surgeries, recurrence rate, complications, incontinence, erectile function, satisfaction with the surgery, and oral numbness were assessed., As described in the original technique, also in the modified technique the access to the urethra is achieved through a midline incision. Subsequently, the urethra is completely mobilised. However, it is then rotated 180 ° using stay sutures. Afterwards, the buccal mucosa is sutured into the opened urethra on both sides under vision, giving free access to the margins. Once the buccal mucosa is completely sutured in, the urethra is back-rotated using stay sutures and the margin of the buccal mucosa and the urethra is sutured to the tunica albuginea, stretching and supporting the buccal mucosa., RESULTS Follow-up was available for 18 patients with a mean (range) age of 67.5 (27-74) years., Open previous surgeries had been performed in 27.8% and transurethral surgeries in 72.2%., The mean (range) length of the oral mucosa graft was 7.8 (2.5-13) cm and the mean operative duration was 106 (73-193) min., The success rate was 83.2%; there was no de novo erectile dysfunction and no relevant penile curvature., There was oral numbness in two patients (9%). None of the recurrence-free patients (83.3%) were dissatisfied with the surgery., CONCLUSIONS The technique simplifies the original technique without compromising the functional results. The modification of the technique enables a better visualisation of the mucosal margins while making the anastomosis, simplifying the original technique., The success rate was comparable with the original technique and patient satisfaction with the surgery was high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]