Outcome of anastomotic urethroplasty in traumatic stricture (distraction defect) of posterior urethra in boys

OBJECTIVE: To report the outcomes of operative management of traumatic posterior urethral distraction defect in boys at our Centre, as traumatic posterior urethral stricture in children is a rare condition that presents a major surgical challenge to the paediatric urologist and consensus on the optimal treatment of these strictures in children has not been reached. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analysed our data from July 2013 to June 2018. All boys aged ≤16 years with traumatic posterior bulbo-prostatic obliteration (distraction defect) were included. Initial suprapubic cystostomy and delayed definite anastomotic urethroplasty was done in all the boys. The boys were evaluated preoperatively with a retrograde urethrogram and simultaneous voiding cystourethrogram, as well as cystourethroscopy. RESULTS: A total of 38 boys, with posterior urethral distraction defect, were divided into primary and redo surgery groups. The primary group comprised 34 boys who were operated upon for the first time. A perineal approach with development of an inter-crural space was done in 12 boys and along with an inferior pubectomy in 19 boys. Three boys in the primary group needed a transpubic approach due to a longer defect. In the redo group, there were six boys, of which four were operated initially outside our hospital, while two were our own unsuccessful urethroplasties. In the redo group, a perineal approach with inferior pubectomy was done in two boys and a transpubic urethroplasty in the remaining four boys. The success rate of anastomotic urethroplasty without any ancillary procedures was 81.5% (strict criterion), while the overall success rate was 94.7% (permissible criterion, which included boys who were managed later with direct vision internal urethrotomy and dilatation). CONCLUSION: The ideal treatment of post-traumatic posterior urethral defect/strictures in boys is tension-free bulbo-prostatic anastomosis. This was done using a transperineal approach in most of the boys, but a few required a transpubic approach, with good results. ABBREVIATIONS: DVIU: direct vision internal urethrotomy; SPC: suprapubic cystostomy; SUI: stress urinary incontinence