ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Urethral atrophy has long been suggested as the leading cause of artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) revision. Since the introduction of the 3.5 cm AUS cuff in 2010, precise cuff sizing primarily has been suggested to reduce revisions due to urethral atrophy. We evaluated a large contemporary series of reoperative AUS cases to determine reasons for revision surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed our tertiary referral center database of male AUS procedures performed by a single surgeon from 2007-2019. AUS revision or replacement procedures were included for analysis. Cuff sizes and reasons for reoperation were recorded based on intraoperative findings and evaluated for temporal trends. Patients with cuff erosion or lacking follow-up were excluded. RESULTS: Among 714 AUS cases, 177 revisions or replacements were identified. Of these, 137 met inclusion criteria [mean age 71.7 years, median follow-up 52.7 months (IQR 22.3-94.6 months)]. Urethral atrophy was cited as the cause of AUS failure in 8.0% (11/137) of cases overall, virtually never among those with a 3.5 cm cuff placement (1/51, 2.0%). In those with ≥4.0 cm cuffs, urethral atrophy was the reason for revision in 10/86 (11.6%). Pressure regulating balloon (PRB) failure was the most frequently cited cause of failure (47/137, 34.3%). Cuff-related failure (23/137, 16.8%) and mechanical failure of unspecified device component (16/137, 11.8%) were the next most frequent causes of failure. CONCLUSIONS: Urethral atrophy has become a rare cause of AUS revision surgery since the availability of smaller cuffs. PRB-related failure is now the leading cause of AUS reoperation.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to review our 12-year experience with the 5-α reductase inhibitor dutasteride as a potential long-term treatment option for stuttering priapism. Dutasteride has a uniquely long half-life of 35 days which offers a theoretical advantage as a chronic therapy for management of stuttering priapism. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients with stuttering priapism in our database from 2006-2018 treated with dutasteride. Men with concurrent use of medications other than dutasteride to treat stuttering priapism were excluded. Patients were started on a dose of 0.5 mg daily and tapered to a more infrequent dosing schedule, ranging from 0.5 mg every other day to once weekly. The frequency of priapism episodes before and after initiation of dutasteride therapy was analyzed. RESULTS: Among 21 cases, 13 patients met our inclusion criteria (mean age 43 years). Median follow-up on daily dutasteride was 79 days, and median follow-up on tapered dutasteride was 607 days. A total of 11/13 (85%) men treated with dutasteride had some degree of improvement-5/13 (38%) had complete resolution of their symptoms and 6/13 (46%) had reduced frequency and/or severity of their episodes. Among 5/13 (38%) men who had >2 emergency room (ER) visits for ischemic priapism prior to therapy, most (3/5, 60%) did not require any ER visits while on dutasteride therapy. Among the five men who received chronic, tapered-dose therapy, all reported continued suppression of priapistic episodes. Among 4 patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), 3/4 (75%) ultimately chose more invasive therapy including androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and penile prosthesis. Side effects were minimal and included gynecomastia (8%), decreased libido (8%), and fatigue (8%). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with stuttering priapism, daily dutasteride therapy is a promising treatment option to reduce the frequency and severity of priapistic episodes without significant side effects. Therapy can effectively be tapered to once weekly dosing without a reduction in efficacy.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To report our experience with isolated pressure regulating balloon (PRB) replacement for artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) malfunction in the setting of PRB herniation. METHODS: A retrospective review of our large single-surgeon male AUS database was completed. We analyzed men with herniated PRBs palpable in the groin within an otherwise intact system. Patients with evidence of AUS fluid loss were excluded. PRBs were replaced in a submuscular location through a lower abdominal incision. Continence was defined as requiring ≤1 pad per day. Cystoscopic improvement of sphincter coaptation was confirmed intraoperatively. RESULTS: Of the 725 patients who underwent AUS surgery between 2011 and 2019, we identified 23 (3.2%) with PRB herniation and persistent or bothersome stress urinary incontinence who underwent isolated PRB replacement (median age 72 years, interquartile range 66-80). Four of the 23 patients were excluded from the analysis for subsequent explant unrelated to PRB replacement. At a mean follow-up of 21.7 months (range 2-99 months), 94.7% of patients (18/19) noted significant improvement in their stress urinary incontinence, and 78.9% of patients (15/19) achieved continence. Median time between AUS placement and PRB revision was 13 months (interquartile range 6-34 months). CONCLUSION: PRB replacement appears to be a safe and effective salvage therapy for AUS patients with PRB herniation and persistent incontinence without mechanical failure. Intraoperative cystoscopic confirmation of enhanced sphincter coaptation appears to be a reliable predictor of treatment success.