Valeriy V. Mitusov

Introduction. The adverse effects of urine on unadapted tissues are known. This is also entirely relevant for buccal grafts used in augmentation urethroplasty, where these effects have not been thoroughly studied so far.Objective. To assess the ongoing pathomorphosis in buccal grafts used for urethral augmentation of extensive strictures in the bulbous region and to evaluate how much urine influences their histological transformation following surgery.Materials & methods. The study included 15 patients with extensive strictures of the bulbous urethra, who underwent a two-stage augmentation urethroplasty with buccal grafts. The grafts pathomorphosis was studied 6 months after the first surgery stage where urethrotomy had been performed with graft augmentation of the dorsal semicircle and the formation of distal and proximal neomeatuses. Natural urination through the latter was restored on days 14 – 20 following the surgery. During the second stage, six months later, urethral tubularisation was performed with two preliminary biopsies of the proximal and distal segments of the grafts implanted in the areas of the neomeatuses formed earlier. The distal area of the graft had no contact with urine, while this contact has occurred in the proximal segment since restoration of natural urination. In biopsy specimens, pathomorphosis of the grafts was studied using immunohistochemical markers: vimentin, clone SRL33; CD34, clone QBEnd/10; MSA HHF-35; СD3, clone LN10; Bcl-2, clone bcl-2\100\D5; CK-HMW 34BE-12.Results. It was found that inflammation was minimal in areas of grafts implanted that had no contact with urine, while in areas where such contact occurred it was verified to be pronounced even 6 months after the operation. On the submucosal level, this was manifested by an uneven arrangement of collagen fibers, a dysplastically developed vascular network, uneven proliferation of the endothelium with swelling and loss of cellular connectivity, in contrast to areas where there was no contact with urine. In such areas, the graft submucosa had a dense collagen framework with organized microvasculature and uniform epithelial surface.Conclusion. The impact of urine on buccal grafts used in augmentation urethroplasty is characterised by the disorganisation of its collagen framework, with a pronounced inflammatory component and the “reactivity” of the epithelial lining to the “toxic agent” that persists even 6 months after surgery. This may underlie the risk of a stenosis relapse in the proximal anastomosis area.

BACKGROUND: The progress made in reconstructive urethral surgery over the past 20 years has shown the effectiveness of one-stage repair of anterior urethral strictures. Nevertheless, multi-stage urethroplasty retains its primary role in the treatment of patients with the most complex urethral narrowing and obliterations. AIM: To evaluate the immediate and long-term surgical results of multi-stage urethroplasty for penile and bulbar urethral strictures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 110 men aged 1884 years who underwent multi-stage urethroplasty for the anterior urethral structures in 20102019. The techniques of buccal and skin augmentation or urethral replacement plastics were applied. Before surgery, all patients underwent a standard urological examination. Early surgical complications were evaluated from medical records. Late surgical complications were determined according to examinations that included symptomatic assessment with specialized questionnaires, laboratory tests of serum and urine, physical examination, uroflowmetry, and retrograde urethrography and ureteroscopy (if urinary disorders were detected). The median follow-up was 5 years and 2 months. RESULTS: Early surgical complications were detected in 27 (24.5%) patients. Surgical interventions to resolve them were required in 7 (31.8%) cases: urethrocutaneous fistulas (5), acute urinary retention (1), scrotal hematoma (1). Late surgical complications were detected in 33 (30.0%) patients, including 29 (26.7%) cases of recurrent urethral strictures. All late complications cases were classified as Clavien-Dindo IIIb, and a total of 49 additional operations were performed to eliminate them. The primary success rate for multi-stage urethroplasty was 67.3 % with a median follow-up of 62 months. Only 73 (66.4%) completed all stages of the planned surgery. Urethral integrity throughout its entire length was restored in 67 (60.9%) cases, spontaneous urination in 106 (96.4%) cases. CONCLUSIONS: Multi-stage surgery for anterior urethral strictures is associated with relatively high risks of surgical complications at each stage of treatment. The probability of surgical revision of complications can reach 31.8%. Patients should be informed about the risks of developing surgical complications and the potential for more than two surgeries to achieve treatment goals when planning multi-stage urethroplasty.

Introduction. Currently, various methods and modifications of radical prostatectomy (RP) have been developed and tested, aimed at preventing and minimizing the development of urinary incontinence (UI). However, UI remains an urgent problem in patients who undergo RP, especially at the early follow-up stages.Objective. To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of modified reconstructive techniques for vesicourethral anastomosis in radical prostatectomy for the prevention of urinary incontinence with respect to the standard technique at different follow-up periods.Materials and methods. Design: single-centre, clinical, simple, comparative, parallel-group study with retrospective and prospective material evaluation, conducted in 2017 – 2022. Patients: men with verified prostate cancer cT1a – 2cN0 – xM0 without decompensated comorbidities. Age: 45 – 78 years. Retrospective part — group (G) 1: 90 patients who underwent non-nerve-sparing open retropubic RP with a "classic" vesicourethral anastomosis (VUA). Prospective part — G2: 46 patients who underwent similar surgery with modified VUA in two variations: without and with prostatic urethra-sparing — G2a (n = 25) and G2b (n = 21), respectively. Initial examination: standard preoperative laboratory and instrumental examination, assessment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) using the IPSS-QoL questionnaire. Follow-up examination: objective evaluation of UI according to established criteria and subjective assessment using the ICIQ-SF questionnaire, tracking the dynamics of LUTS using IPSS-QoL. Follow-up periods: 0-point (after catheter removal), 1, 3, 6, and 12 months (exit-point); the dynamics of recovery of urinary continence (UC) was determined monthly. Statistical analysis: Statistica ver.10.0 (StatSoft Inc., Tulsa, OK, USA) using non-parametric methods (CL p < 0.05 at a = 0.05)Results. Preoperative demographic, questionnaire and instrumental statistics did not differ (p > 0.05) between the groups, confirming the homogeneity of the samples. After RP, the urethral catheter was removed in a period of 7 to 21 days. There was no difference (p > 0.05) in the duration of drainage between the groups. Total urinary continence (TUC) immediately after catheter removal was detected in G1, G2a and G2b in 20.0%, 44.0% and 57.1% of cases, respectively. Subsequent objective monitoring of UC recovery from 1 month showed differences (p < 0.001) between the groups in the dynamics of rehabilitation during the year. The improvement in UC over the one-year follow-up period was cumulatively achieved in G1, G2a and G2b in 48.9%, 44.0% and 33.3% of cases, respectively. Total UI persisted in G1 and G2a by month 12 in 22.2% and 8.0% of patients, respectively, and was not detected in G2b. The severity of UI by the end of the follow-up according to the ICIQ-SF data was the most pronounced (p < 0.001) in patients from G1. TUC-patients in all groups from 1 month showed a marked decrease in the severity of obstructive and irritative LUTS and improved quality of life, with no differences (0.157 < p < 0.390) in IPSS-QoL values between groups.Conclusions. The use of modified VUA reconstruction techniques made it possible, compared with the standard one, to achieve high continence rates in patients both immediately after the removal of the urethral catheter and at subsequent follow-up periods, without the formation of severe iatrogenic obstruction. Prostatic urethra-sparing modification is the most effective technique that provided the rehabilitation of UI to a complete and/or social level in all patients within a year after surgery.

Introduction. Multi-stage urethral surgery is used in cases of the most complex urethral strictures. The evaluation of surgical treatment results given by patients is a significant criterion for the efficacy of urethroplasty along with the assessment of urethral patency through instrumental examinations.Objective. To evaluate the long-term efficacy of multistage urethroplasty for complex anterior urethral strictures considering the patients' quality of life and satisfaction with the surgical outcomes.Materials and methods. The study included 73 patients aged 18 – 84 years with anterior urethral strictures who underwent multi-stage urethroplasty in 2010 – 2019. Surgical and functional outcomes of urethroplasty were assessed through general blood and urine tests, physical examination, uroflowmetry, and retrograde urethrography and urethroscopy in case of urinary disorders. Subjective parameters of treatment efficacy were studied using questionnaires: International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS); Quality of life (QoL); Patient-reported Outcome Measure for Urethral Stricture Surgery (USS-PROM); Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I).Results. Recurrent urethral stricture was detected in 19 (26,0%) patients with the average follow-up period being 65 months. Independent urination was restored in 71 (97.3%) cases, including repeated interventions. After surgery, there was a significant increase in urinary flow rate parameters (Q max: 8.1 vs 19.1 ml/s, p < 0.0001; Q ave: 5.5 vs 10.7 ml/s; p = 0.0004), decrease in residual urine volume (62.4 vs 18.6 ml, p < 0.0001), decrease in total IPSS score (18.7 vs 5.7 points; p < 0.0001) and QoL index (4.3 vs 1 .8 points, p < 0.0001). A comparative analysis of preoperative and postoperative USS-PROM questionnaire results demonstrated an improvement in indicators assessing LUTS (12.9 vs 3.4 points; p < 0.0001; 3.6 vs 1.7 points; p < 0.0001), and urination-associated quality of life (2.6 vs 0.6 points; p < 0.0001) and overall health (EQ-5D index: 0.73 vs 0.91 points; p = 0.025; EQ-VAS: 68.0 vs 88.1 points, p = 0.004). Fifty-seven (81.4%) men were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the treatment outcomes, while nine (12.9%) respondents noted a moderate effect of residual urinary disorders on the quality of life. Significantly higher satisfaction was observed among cystostomy patients and in cases where repeated interventions were unnecessary.Conclusion. Multi-stage urethroplasty for complex anterior urethral strictures achieves efficacy in 97.3% of cases and is accompanied by high levels of quality of life and patient’s satisfaction during long-term follow-up.

Introduction. Any sexual dysfunction or complications associated with urethral stricture reconstruction can negatively affect quality of life and patient satisfaction with treatment results, even if the operation is considered 'successful' and urethral patency is restored. According to the literature data, the frequency of erectile dysfunction detected after urethroplasty varies from 0 to 40%. However, most publications are focused on the study of sexual disorders caused bulbar urethral reconstruction and one-stage surgical techniques. Purpose of the study. To evaluate sexual function in patients undergoing multi-stage urethroplasty. Materials and methods. The study included 73 men aged 18–84 years who underwent multi-stage urethroplasty for the anterior urethral structures in 2010–2019. Penile strictures were present in 39 (53.4%) patients, bulbar strictures in 7 (9.6%), penile bulbar strictures in 15 (20.5%) and multifocal strictures in 12 (16.4%) cases. The length of the strictures was 7.27 ± 3.26 (2–18) cm. The effect of staged urethral surgery on sexual function was studied using the IIEF-5, MSHQ-EjD, and MSHQ-InS questionnaires. The mean time from surgery to evaluation of sexual function was 67.8 ± 32.3 (14–134) months. Wilcoxon signed rank test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used to test for differences in preoperative and postoperative values. Differences were considered significant at p < 0.05. Results. There were no significant changes in the initial indicators of the IIEF-5 questionnaire compared to the postoperative ones (19.67 ± 3.45 (5 – 25) vs 21.73 ± 2.47 (6 – 24) points; the mean difference was (Δ) 2.1, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 16.1 – 20.2, p = 0.468). The total score of the MSHQ-EjD questionnaire increased from 14.67 ± 3.33 (1 – 28) to 25.41 ± 5.65 (1 – 34) points, the mean difference (Δ) was 10.8, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) – 15.4 – 18.9 (p < 0.001). Similar improvements were observed in the analysis of preoperative and postoperative scores of the MSHQ-InS questionnaire (17.31 ± 4.67 (5 – 30) vs. 24.61 ± 4.13 (8 – 30) points; Δ = 7.2; 95% CI: 15.4 – 18.8, p = 0.036). Conclusions. Patients who underwent multi-stage urethroplasty have minimal changes in erectile function and significant improvements in ejaculatory function, as well as the expressiveness of sexual satisfaction.

The article reviews the 2000-2020 literature on the use of perineal urethrostomy in the treatment of patients with anterior urethral strictures. Historical issues of the development of urethrostomy techniques are considered. The algorithms to choose the method of treatment of urethral strictures in favor of perineal urethrostomy are highlighted, according to the guidelines of the world's professional urological associations. The performance indicators of perineal urethrostomy were studied considering the age characteristics of the patients, the etiological genesis of the strictures, their length and location, as well as depending on the surgical technique and the follow-up period. Considerable attention is paid to studies devoted to the analysis of the functional results of urethrostomy, as well as the quality of life of patients associated with urination and sexual activity. Data are presented on the incidence of early and late surgical complications, including urethrostomy stenosis, as one of the most common. An analysis of studies evaluating factors that negatively affect the outcome of surgery was carried out. The main reasons for the growing demand for the technique in surgery for complex anterior urethral strictures and the importance of the technique among other treatment methods are discussed.

Introduction. Currently, the most common method of treating extended urethral strictures is augmentation urethroplasty using oral mucosa grafts. Analysis of the long-term outcomes of this surgery type shows a high incidence of relapses and complications.Purpose of the study. To improve the outcomes of augmentation urethroplasty, in particular the dorsal inlay (Asopa) technique, in patients with extended spongy urethral strictures by minimizing the risk of recurrent strictures.Materials and methods. The study is based on an analysis of the surgery in 90 patients (aged 18-72 years) with extended spongy urethral strictures. Seventy patients (group I) underwent dorsal inlay augmentation urethroplasty according to the Asopa technique, and 20 patients (group II) — according to the author's modified technique. Statistical data analysis was carried out using the SPSS ver.26 software (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL, USA).Results. A comparative analysis of the course of the early postoperative period showed a lower number of complications in group II patients compared to group I — 20.0% versus 34.3%, respectively. The recurrent strictures were registered for groups I and II in 18.8% and 5.6% of cases 6 months after surgery, respectively. The recurrent urethral narrowing was most often localized in the area of distal anastomosis between the buccal graft and the native urethra in patients from both groups.Conclusion. The modified dorsal inlay augmentation urethroplasty technique developed and implemented in clinical practice by increasing the internal urethral lumen in the areas of proximal and distal anastomosis between the buccal graft and the native spongy urethral body allows minimizing the risks of recurrent urethral narrowing after augmentation urethroplasty.

Introduction. Extended spongy urethral strictures require the use of plastic surgery techniques. In most cases, a one-stage urethral repair can be performed. However, staged urethroplasty and permanent urethrostomy are important in patients with extremely complex urethral strictures. Purpose of the study. To determine the clinical features of spongy urethral strictures, which cannot be cured by one-stage urethroplasty, but are subject to multistage plastic or permanent urethrostomy. Materials and methods. The study included 158 patients who underwent surgery for urethral strictures in 2010 − 2019. Inclusion criteria: spongy urethral strictures requiring staged urethroplasty or permanent urethrostomy. Exclusion criteria: age<18 years, proximal urethral strictures, urethra-vesical anastomosis and bladder neck stenosis, previously untreated congenital anomalies (hypospadias and epispadias), and history of any other urethral surgery not meeting the inclusion criteria. Results. The age of the patients ranged from 18 to 88 years. Iatrogenic (34.8%) and inflammatory (32.3%) urethral lesions predominate in the structure of etiological factors with the most common penile localization of narrowing (43.7%). The length of strictures in half of the patients exceeds 6 cm; a quarter of the sample has subtotal and total spongy urethral lesions. The proportion of recurrent urethral strictures is 56.3%. The average duration of the urethral stricture disease reaches 8 years. In 61.3% of cases, the disease is accompanied by complications from both local tissues and organs of the urinary and reproductive systems. Conclusion. Clinical evaluation of patients with spongy urethral strictures requiring multi-stage urethroplasty or permanent urethrostomy reveals a particular severity of urethral stricture disease. This category of patients has a high risk of unsuccessful outcomes with one-stage surgery. In these cases, patients require a multi-staged urethroplasty or a permanent urethrostomy.

Introduction. Pelvic ring fracture with complex bone fragments displacement is associated with the urethral distraction injury in about 10% of cases. Emergency care for these patients includes the provision of trauma management and urinary diversion followed by delayed urethroplasty.Purpose of the study. To determine the effect of extramedullary osteosynthesis in a pelvic ring fracture on the outcome of treatment in patients with post-traumatic urethral strictures.Materials and methods. The study included 17 patients with post-traumatic urethral strictures associated with pelvic ring fractures (Types B, C). The average age of the patients was 35.8 ± 10.2 (19 - 61) yrs. All patients underwent submerged osteosynthesis and cystostomy drainage as an emergency. Localization of strictures: 10 (58.8%) - membranous, 7 (41.2%) - bulbo-membranous. Length of strictures: 1.47 ± 0.5 (0.5 - 2.5) cm. Post-traumatic period: 6.6 ± 1.3 (4 - 10) mo.Results. All patients underwent anastomotic urethroplasty. No early postoperative complications were identified. Spontaneous urination was restored by 14 - 15 days in all patients. Early urethral stricture relapses were revealed in 9 (52.9%) patients during 3-mo follow-up. These patients underwent removal of the metal structures fixing the pelvic bones. Repeated urethroplasty was performed a month later. Subsequent relapses of urethral stricture were not detected in any of 17 cases with a median follow-up of 28 (12 - 128) mo.Conclusion. Surgical treatment of urethral strictures associated with a pelvic ring fracture and osteosynthesis is advisable after removal of the metal structures fixing the pelvic bones. This is since the excessed retropubic screws protrusion (> 0.2 - 0.3 mm) is associated with a large area of periurethral fibrous inflammation and causes high relapse risks of stricture disease (52.9%) in the case of urethral surgery preceding the removal of metal structures.