Perineal anastomotic urethroplasty in a pediatric cohort with posterior urethral strictures: critical analysis of outcomes in a contemporary series.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term outcomes of perineal anastomotic urethroplasty for post-traumatic pediatric posterior urethral strictures.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 65 boys who had a perineal anastomotic urethroplasty for post-traumatic posterior urethral strictures between 1991 and 2010. Patients were followed up for a mean (range) of 78 (13-210) months by a history, urinary flow rate estimate, retrograde urethrography, and voiding cystourethrography. Regression analysis was done to assess the predictors of success after urethroplasty.

Results: The mean (range) age of the patients was 9.3 (3-16) years. The estimated radiographic stricture length before surgery was 2.4 (1-5) cm. All patients presented with a suprapubic cystostomy tube and scheduled for delayed or repeated correction of a urethral stricture. Twenty boys (30%) had failed previous attempts of repair elsewhere. Mean interval between the original trauma and repair in new cases, and since the last repair in recurrent cases, was 7 months. The perineal anastomotic repair was successful in 58 of 65 (89%) patients. All treatment failures were at the anastomosis and were within the first year. Failed repairs were successfully managed endoscopically in 5 patients and by repeat perineal anastomotic repair in the remaining 2. All boys are continent. There was no chordee or urethral diverticula during the follow-up.

Conclusions: One-stage perineal anastomotic repair of post-traumatic urethral strictures in boys is feasible with minimal morbidity. Denovo cases and surgeon experience are the predictors of success after urethroplasty.