Clinical outcome and quality of life assessment in patients treated with perineal urethrostomy for anterior urethral stricture disease

Abstract

mobilization could move the testis to the scrotum in almost all cases (2). The present surgical technique would be a better alternative to the Fowler-Stephens procedure, which can cause unacceptable rates of testicular atrophy and therefore is out of use in most pediatric urology departments. Purpose: We performed a quality of life assessment for patients treated with perineal urethrostomy for anterior urethral stricture disease. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 173 patients (median age 55 years) who underwent perineal urethrostomy (from 1978 to 2007) as part of a plan for a staged urethroplasty repair for a complex anterior urethral stricture. The perineostomy was made using flap urethroplasty. The clinical outcome was considered a failure when postoperative instrumentation was needed. A questionnaire was used to evaluate patient quality of life and satisfaction. Results: Stricture etiology was unknown in 50.3% of the cases, lichen sclerosus in 17.3%, catheter in 13.3%, instrumentation in 8.7%, failed hypospadias repair in 4.6%, trauma in 4.1% and infection in 1.7%. Stricture length was 1 to less than 2 cm in 1.2% of cases, 2 to less than 3 cm in 3.5%, 3 to less than 4 cm in 12.1%, 4 to less than 5 cm in 13.8%, 5 to less than 6 cm in 7.5%, greater than 6 cm in 4.1% and panurethral in 57.8%. Of 173 patients 91 (52.6%) underwent prior urethroplasty. Median follow-up length was 62 months (range 12 to 361). Of 173 cases 121 (70%) were successful and 52 (30%) were failures, requiring revision of the perineostomy. Of 173 patients 135 (78%) were satisfied with the results obtained with surgery, 33 (19.1%) were very satisfied, 127 (73.4%) with a median age of 57 years (range 23 to 85) refused to do the second stage of urethroplasty and 46 (26.6%) with a median age of 47.5 years (range 27 to 72) are currently on a waiting list for the second stage of urethroplasty. Conclusions: Perineostomy is a necessary procedure for patients with complex urethral pathology and satisfaction rates are high.