Artificial Urinary Sphincter Placement Research Articles

Artificial Urinary Sphincter Complications: A Narrative Review.

Stress urinary incontinence is a financially burdensome and socially isolating problem and can be experienced by men as a result of radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy, or other urologic surgery. Artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) placement for stress urinary incontinence is considered the 'gold standard' for male stress urinary incontinence. While initially only placed by specialized prosthetic surgeons, changes in urologic training have made implantation of the device by general urologists more widespread. Additionally, even though a minority of urologists place the majority of implants, many urologists may find themselves caring for patients with these devices even if they have never placed them themselves. For this reason, it is paramount that the urologic surgeon implanting the device and those caring for patients with prostheses are familiar with the various perioperative and postoperative complications of AUS implantation. This review discusses the most commonly reported complications of AUS implantation as well as those that are rarely described. Knowledge of these potential complications is necessary in order to care for patients with urologic implants.

Posterior Urethral Reconstruction at the Time of Rectourethral Fistula Repair: Technique and Outcomes

IntroductionRecto-urethral fistulas (RUF) remain a difficult management problem. To assess the impact of posterior urethral stenosis on outcomes following RUF repair, we present a cohort of 23 men who underwent posterior urethroplasty concurrent with RUF repair. MethodsWe identified 130 men who underwent RUF repair at our institution between 2003-2021. Of these, 23 (18%) underwent simultaneous posterior urethroplasty. Fifteen men received prior radiation for prostate cancer. Of the 8 men who were not radiated, 4 had a history of radical prostatectomy, 2 pelvic trauma, and 3 inflammatory bowel disease. All 23 men underwent fecal diversion prior to surgery (median, 6 months pre-operatively), and 20 men suprapubic catheter placement (median, 5.5 months pre-operatively). ResultsRUF repair was performed via perineal approach in 22 cases (96%) and prone Kraske position in 1 (4%). Intra-operatively, 20 men (87%) had urethral stenosis, and 3 (13%) had significant urethral defects due to cavitation and tissue loss. There was stenosis/stricture involving the prostatomembranous urethra in 18 cases (78%) and vesicourethral anastomosis in 5 (22%). Urethroplasty was performed with anastomotic repair in 18 patients (78%) and using a buccal mucosal graft in 5 (22%). Gracilis flap interposition was performed in 21 cases (91%).At a median follow up of 55.7 months (IQR, 23-82 months), 20 men (87%) had successful RUF closure, with 3 patients experiencing RUF recurrence requiring further surgery. Fourteen men (61%) reported postoperative urinary incontinence, with 7 (30%) ultimately undergoing artificial urinary sphincter placement. There were no isolated stricture recurrences requiring instrumentation. ConclusionsPosterior urethral stenosis associated with RUF complicates an already challenging problem. However, most of these patients can be successfully treated concurrent with RUF repair. This series demonstrates that patients with RUF should not be ruled out for restorative reconstructive surgery based on the presence of posterior urethral stenosis.

Prior male sling does not affect outcomes of artificial urinary sphincter.

To investigate the outcomes of artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) placement in patients with post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence (PPUI) with or without a prior male sling. We performed a retrospective chart review of patients who underwent AUS for PPUI from 2007 to 2022. The primary endpoint was to determine the proportion of patients who achieved social continence, defined as self-reported use of 0-1 pad/day. The secondary endpoints were device failure rates and device failure-free survival. The analysis included 210 patients, with 30 (14.3%) having had prior slings and 180 (85.7%) without prior slings. After AUS insertion, 80.0% of patients with prior slings and 76.7% of those without prior slings achieved continence (0-1 pad/day). There were six (20.0%) and 53 (29.4%) device failures in patients with and without prior slings, respectively. The median device failure-free survival was not reached in patients with prior slings and was 8.9 years in patients without prior slings (P = 0.048). Limitations include retrospective nature and small sample size. The efficacy and safety of AUS in patients with prior slings are similar to those without. Prior sling is associated with a longer device failure-free survival. AUS remains a viable option in patients who have persistent PPI after prior slings.

A Full Bladder Is Not Needed for the Male Stress Incontinence Grading Scale.

Our objectives were to evaluate the Male Stress Incontinence Grading Scale to stratify male patients with stress urinary incontinence for either artificial urinary sphincter or sling using a standing cough test and determine if an emptier bladder at the time of assessment carries increased risk of treatment failure. Retrospective chart review of male patients undergoing sling and artificial urinary sphincter placement. The standing cough test score and bladder scan results were documented at initial evaluation. Forty patients underwent sling and 43 underwent naïve artificial sphincter placement. Median follow-up was 7.11 months. Thirty-six/forty slings had complete incontinence resolution or reduction to a safety pad vs 40/43 after sphincter (90% vs 93%, P = .62). Four sling patients (10%) had persistence or recurrence of incontinence. Cough test scores were similar between sling failure (67% grade 0, 33% grade 1) and success groups (83% grade 0, 3% grade 1, 14% grade 2). Bladder scan mean was 18.5 cc in the sling failure (SD 21.1) and 38.0 cc in the success groups (38.3), with 32% of success patients having bladder scans of 0 cc, and 63% of < 50 cc. Mean for sphincter patients was 45 cc (56.9). Ten patients with scan = 0 and 7 patients with scans < 30 cc demonstrated grade 4 incontinence. Cough test is a noninvasive, reliable tool to assess stress urinary incontinence severity. Our data suggest it is reliable even when bladders are nearly empty and can effectively stratify patients for sling vs artificial urinary sphincter with a high rate of success.

No-Opioid Discharge Following Artificial Urinary Sphincter Placement Does Not Significantly Increase Health Care System Burden.

Postoperative opioid prescriptions are associated with an increased risk of opioid dependance. While studies on no-opioid discharge strategies have been assessed following many urologic procedures, the effect of no-opioid discharges on health care utilization following artificial urinary sphincter placement is unknown. We performed a single-surgeon retrospective comparison of health care system interactions following artificial urinary sphincter implantation between patients who received an opioid prescription on discharge to those who did not. We identified 101 male patients who underwent 3-piece artificial urinary sphincter placement or revision by 1 provider between 2015 and 2022. All patients were discharged with acetaminophen and ibuprofen; none received intraoperative local anesthetic. Demographic information, preprocedural opioid use, opioid prescriptions following the procedure, postoperative office communications, unplanned office visits, and emergency department (ED) visits were recorded for each patient for 90 days. Forty-five patients (45%) were discharged without an opioid prescription and 56 patients (55%) were discharged with an opioid prescription. No differences in age, race, BMI, operative time, or presence of a preoperative opioid prescription were observed. Discharge without an opioid did not significantly increase the number of office communications (55% vs 40%, P = .11), unplanned office visits (36% vs 23%, P = .19), or ED visits (20 vs 12, P = .41) within 90 days of implantation/revision. Opioids can be omitted from the discharge analgesic regimen following artificial urinary sphincter placement without increasing burden to surgical office staff or local EDs. Providers should consider no-opioid discharges for patients undergoing uncomplicated sphincter placement to limit risk of opioid-related morbidity.

Immediate and Long-term Outcomes of Lateral Retroperitoneal Pressure Regulating Balloon Placement During Artificial Urinary Sphincter Implantation

ObjectiveTo describe immediate and long-term outcomes of pressure regulating balloon (PRB) placement, exchange, and extraction from the lateral retroperitoneum (LR) in male patients receiving an artificial urinary sphincter (AUS). MethodsA retrospective chart review was performed on all patients that underwent primary AUS placement between 2006 to 2021. All patients had the PRB placed in the LR during the study period. Intraoperative complications during PRB placement, exchange, or removal, and indications for PRB revision, such as infection, erosion, or mechanical failures were analyzed. Results541 patients were included in the study. All patients underwent primary implantation with no intraoperative complications including no incidents of bowel or vascular injury during PRB placement. In addition, there were no instances of intraoperative injury during PRB removal (with or without PRB replacement). After mean follow-up of 54.8 months (range: 1 – 181 months), 9 patients (1.7%) developed a reservoir-specific complication with infection (5 patients, 0.9%) being the most common issue found. The second most common type or reservoir issue was a palpable or herniated reservoir. There were 2 patients (0.4%) who herniated their reservoirs and one patient with a non-bothersome, but palpable reservoir. Lastly, there were 2 incidents (0.4%) of mechanical failure caused by a leak in the PRB. ConclusionDue to the ease and safety of placing and removing PRBs from this location and exceedingly low rates of PRB-related complications in long term follow-up, the LR should be considered as an ideal location for PRB placement in male patients receiving an AUS.

An evaluation of three validated comorbidity indices to predict short-term postoperative outcomes after prosthetic urologic surgery.

Commonly used comorbidity indices include the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), Elixhauser/Van Walraven Index (VWI), and modified frailty index (mFI). This study evaluates whether these indices predict postoperative readmissions and complications after inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) and artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) placement. We identified adult males who underwent IPP or AUS placement using the State Inpatient and State Ambulatory Surgery and Services Databases for Florida (2010-2015) and California (2010-2011). CCI, VWI, and mFI scores were calculated for each patient. We extracted 30-day emergency department services, 30-day readmissions, 90-day device complications (e.g., removal, replacement, or infection), and 90-day postoperative complications (excluding device complications). Receiver-operating characteristic curves were constructed and areas under the curve (AUC) were compared between the indices using the VWI as the reference model. We considered an AUC < 0.7 to represent poor predictive power. We identified 4242 IPP and 1190 AUS patients. All three indices had AUCs and 95% confidence intervals less than 0.70 for all outcomes following IPP and AUS placement making these indices poor predictors for postoperative outcomes. There were no significant differences in predicting 90-day postoperative complications between the VWI (AUC = 0.59, 95% CI [0.54-0.63]), CCI (AUC = 0.59, 95% CI [0.54-0.63], p = 0.99), and mFI (AUC = 0.60, 95% CI [0.55-0.66], p = 0.53) for IPPs and VWI (AUC = 0.54, 95% CI [0.47-0.61]), CCI (AUC = 0.50, 95% CI [0.43-0.57], p = 0.30), and mFI (AUC = 0.52, 95% CI [0.43-0.60], p = 0.56) for AUS placements. All three comorbidity indices were poor predictors of readmissions and complications following urologic prosthetic surgeries. A better comorbidity index is needed for risk-stratification of patients undergoing these surgeries.

The 51-60 cm H2O Artificial Urinary Sphincter Pressure Regulating Balloon: Indications and Outcomes

To describe the role and long-term outcomes of using the 51-60 cm H2O pressure regulating balloon (PRB) in male patients with an artificial urinary sphincter (AUS). From 2005 to 2021, 90 patients with a variety of urethral risk factors underwent AUS placement with use of the low pressure 51-60 cm H2O PRB to treat stress incontinence. Patient demographics, indication for use of the 51-60 cm H2O PRB, perioperative data, and postoperative outcomes were examined and Pearson's chi squared test and Wilcoxon rank sum test were used to identify associations with future revisions, erosion, and mechanical failure. 90 patients were included in the study. After median follow-up of 46.6 months (range: 6 - 146 months), 4 (4.44%) patients developed an erosion-related complication that required device removal, 4 developed an infection, and 3 underwent surgery for pump relocation. One patient had a reported mechanical failure of unknown source. 30 patients underwent revision surgery to reduce incontinence. Of the 4 patients with erosion, 1 was due to iatrogenic catheterization. The remaining 3 had numerous urethral risk factors. Univariate analysis was performed to identify predictors of cuff erosion, infection, and revision in patients with a 51-60 cm H2O PRB. No significant associations were found including prior pelvic radiation, age at AUS placement, presence of IPP, prior AUS erosion, or previous urethroplasty. The low pressure 51-60 cm H2O PRB can be used in high-risk male patients with urinary incontinence with low rates of complications including erosion, infection, and mechanical failure. While patients may choose to undergo future revisional surgery to improve continence, the 51-60 cm H2O PRB should be considered as the initial PRB in patients with urethral risk factors.

REtrospective Multicenter Observational study of immediate Voiding at End of Urinary Sphincter surgery [REMOVE

Patients may remain catheterized after Artificial Urinary Sphincter surgery to prevent urinary retention, despite a lack of evidence to support this practice. Our study aims to evaluate the feasibility of outpatient, catheter-free continence surgery using a multi-institutional database. We hypothesize that between catheterized controls and patients without a catheter, there would be no difference in the rate of urinary retention or postoperative complications. We conducted a retrospective review of patients undergoing first-time AUS placement from 2009-2021. Patients were stratified by postoperative catheter status into either no catheter (leaving the procedure without a catheter) or catheter (postoperative indwelling catheter for ∼24 hours). The primary outcome, urinary retention, was defined as catheterization due to subjective voiding difficulty or documented PVR over 250 mL. Our study identified 302 catheter and 123 no catheter patients. Twenty (6.6%) catheter and nine (7.3%) no catheter patients developed urinary retention (p=0.8). On multivariable analysis, controlling for age, cuff size, radiation history and surgeon there was no statistically significant association between omitting a catheter and urinary retention[OR:0.45(95%CI:0.13-1.58);p=0.2]. Furthermore, at 30 months follow up, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed at device survival was 70% (95%CI:62-76%) vs. 69% (95%CI:48-82%) for the catheter and no catheter group, respectively. In our multi-institutional cohort, overall retention rates were low (7%) in groups with a catheter and without. Obviating postoperative catheterization facilitates outpatient incontinence surgery without altering reoperation over medium-term follow-up.

Male Hypogonadism Does Not Affect Surgical Outcomes After Primary Artificial Urinary Sphincter Placement

Purpose: Studies suggest a link between hypogonadism and complications after artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) placement. We investigated this association and evaluated whether testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) before AUS placement attenuates this risk in hypogonadal patients. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the TriNetX network between 2008 and 2022. We defined 2 groups undergoing primary AUS: (1) eugonadal and (2) hypogonadal patients. We further assessed the hypogonadal cohort by comparing TRT recipients with TRT-naïve patients before AUS. Propensity score matching was used to account for differences in covariates between eugonadal and hypogonadal cohorts. Outcomes included 5-year all-cause revision, erosion, mechanical failure, or device infection. Results: A total of 4308 eugonadal and 514 hypogonadal patients (95 with TRT, 409 TRT-naïve) were included. After matching, the eugonadal and hypogonadal cohorts each contained 504 patients. The median follow-up times for the eugonadal and hypogonadal cohorts were 6 and 5 years, respectively. We found no difference in 5-year all-cause revision (25% vs 28%, P = .35), erosion (1.2% vs 2.2%, P = .22), device infection (3.6% vs 4.0%, P = .74), or mechanical failure (16% vs 17%, P = .67) between eugonadal and hypogonadal patients. In the hypogonadal subanalysis, we found no difference in 5-year device outcomes between TRT recipients and TRT-naïve patients. Post-AUS, only 22 (5%) patients in the TRT-naïve arm received new TRT, suggesting minimal crossover. Conclusions: In matched cohorts of eugonadal and hypogonadal patients undergoing primary AUS placement, we observed no difference in 5-year device outcomes. TRT does not appear to affect surgical outcomes in hypogonadal patients undergoing AUS placement. These hypothesis-generating findings warrant further evaluation.

Robotic-assisted Posterior Urethroplasty: Outcomes From 105 Men in a Single-center Experience

To determine surgical outcomes in a large of cohort men undergoing robotic-assisted posterior urethroplasty (RPU), which has been described in small series as a viable option. We performed a retrospective review of all 105 men who underwent RPU from October 2014 to August 2022 at a single institution. We evaluated postoperative outcomes, including complications; surgical success defined as no need for reintervention; and incontinence requiring artificial urinary sphincter placement. We performed descriptive statistics and chi-square testing to determine if outcomes were associated with certain posterior urethral disease etiologies. Mean follow-up time was 18.7months. Over half of patients (57.1%) received prior pelvic radiation. The most common reconstructive techniques were excision and primary anastomosis (n = 45, 30.0%), resitting of the bladder neck (n = 26, 24.8%), Y-V plasty (n = 21, 20.0%), and buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty (n = 14, 13.3%). Forty-one patients (39.0%) required a combined abdominoperineal approach. Seven patients (6.7%) had ≥CD grade 3 complications within 30days. Thirty patients (28.6%) developed incontinence with subsequent artificial urinary sphincter placement. One-quarter (24.8%) of patients required at least one subsequent surgical reintervention. In the largest RPU cohort to date, surgical success rates were similar and continence rates were improved compared to open surgery and align with existing robotic series, adding to the growing body of evidence demonstrating advantages of RPU.

49 - Outcomes and survival of artificial urinary sphincter placement in adverse clinical setting: A multi-institutional study

49 - Outcomes and survival of artificial urinary sphincter placement in adverse clinical setting: A multi-institutional study

(312) Area Deprivation Index in Men Undergoing AUS Placement– Community Resource Limitations Do Not Correlate with Poorer Device or Satisfaction Outcomes

Abstract Introduction Outcomes following artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) placement have been associated with non-urologic health metrics including hemoglobin A1c and BMI, as well as with health literacy and frailty. Concerns about these patient factors may lead urologic prosthetic surgeons to alter their recommendations for stress urinary incontinence treatment to avoid poor patient outcomes. The Area Deprivation Index (ADI) is a ranking system to measure socioeconomic disadvantage between neighborhoods and correlates with rates of chronic medical conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as healthcare service utilization and death. This ranking system includes a composite score of patient income, education level, employment status and housing quality. Evaluating socioeconomic disadvantage may help implanters tailor their patient counseling and improve patient pre- and postoperative education. Objective We sought to characterize variability in functional, subjective, and objective outcomes following AUS placement according to ADI. Methods Patients were identified by CPT codes for AUS insertion, removal/replacement, and revision from 2014 to 2022 at our institution. National percentile ADI was obtained using the Neighborhood Atlas® (Madison, WI) based on patient home address. Higher ADI scores indicate greater socioeconomic disadvantage. Associations of ADI with post-AUS satisfaction, device survival, and complications including (I) any Clavien-Dindo complication and (II) complications requiring surgical intervention. Patient satisfaction was assessed on a 1-5 Likert scale based on telephone interviews. Results 284 patients met inclusion criteria with 232 having data available regarding complications. Median ADI scores in our cohort was 59 (41-75), and we divided the cohort according to high (&amp;gt;58) and low socioeconomic deprivation groups based on this cutoff. Of these, 53 (22.8%) experienced any complication following AUS procedure, over a median of 6.3 months follow up. Device survival at last follow up was similar between low (88.8%) and high ADI groups (92%, P=0.41). Patients with low and high ADI scores had similar overall complication rates (21.6% vs. 24.4%; P=0.64) of any Clavien-Dindo score. Device survival was high at last follow up regardless of ADI score (88.8% vs. 92.0%; P=0.41) with total follow up also being similar between groups (5.64 mo vs. 8.01 mo; P=0.23). Time from prostatectomy to AUS implantation was also similar between high and low ADI groups (4.23 years vs. 4.17 years, P=0.70) Finally, patient satisfaction was very high in both the low and high ADI groups (5 vs. 5; P=0.41). Conclusions ADI was not associated with time to sphincter implantation, postoperative complications, patient satisfaction or device survival. Despite ADI capturing several factors that potentially impact a patient’s ability to optimally access medical care-including income, education and housing quality, we found no evidence that socioeconomic disadvantage by ADI scores was predictive of poorer outcomes, satisfaction, or suboptimal follow up. Disclosure No

(445) A Full Bladder Is Not Needed To Grade Male Stress Incontinence For Prosthesis Patient Selection

Abstract Introduction Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) resulting from prostate surgery can have devastating consequences in men’s quality of life. Patient selection is crucial for successful treatment of SUI with urethral sling or artificial urinary sphincter (AUS). The ideal SUI evaluation tool for determining severity and guiding surgical treatment remains unknown. The Male Stress Incontinence Grading Scale (MSIGS) uses a standing cough test to provide a simple, non-invasive assessment of post-prostatectomy SUI severity, and can facilitate procedure selection. However, uncertainty remains as to whether MSIGS underestimates SUI severity if performed with insufficiently full bladder, increasing the risk of treatment failure. Objective We present our sling and AUS outcomes using the MSIGS for selection. We assessed bladder fullness with random bladder scans (BS) at the time of evaluation to determine if emptier bladder carries increased risk of failure. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of male patients undergoing sling and AUS placement. MSIGS and BS were documented at initial evaluation. Additional collected data included age, pads per day (PPD) pre- and post-surgery, post-operative MSIGS, and need for revision or conversion. Success and failure groups were defined as the post-operative use of ≤1 PPD or &amp;gt;1 PPD, respectively. Descriptive and comparative statistics were performed using SAS software. Results From April 2017 to September 2021, 40 male patients underwent sling and 43 naïve AUS placement. Average age was 71.9 for slings and 70.3 for AUS. 80/83 had prior prostatic surgery. Average follow up was 12.5 months. 34/40 slings had complete SUI resolution or reduction of pad use to no more than one PPD vs 40/43 of AUS (85 vs 93%, p=0.4). 4 sling patients (10%) had persistence or recurrence of SUI, of whichone patient underwent AUS placement. MSIGS scores were similar between sling success (83% patients grade 0, 3% grade 1, 14% grade 2) and failure groups (67% grade 0, 33% grade 1). 73% of AUS patient mostly had MSIGS scores 3 or 4. BS was available for 35 sling and 25 AUS patients. Average was 18.5cc in the sling failure group (range 17-161) and 38cc in the sling success, (17-161), with 32% of success patients having a BS of 0cc, and 80% of &amp;lt;60cc. Average BS for AUS patients was 45cc (14-224). 10 patients with BS 0 and 7 patients with BS&amp;lt;30cc demonstrated MSIGS 4 on exam. Conclusions MSIGS is a non-invasive, reliable test to assess SUI severity. Our preliminary data suggests that a full bladder at time of assessment is not necessary to accurately select patients for male sling vs AUS, with high rate of success and patient satisfaction. Disclosure No

(291) Long-term Assessment of the Safety and Efficacy of the Mini-Jupette Sling: 5-year Follow-up of the Original Series

Abstract Introduction Climacturia has been reported in up to 64% of patients following radical prostatectomy (RP). In 2017, a prospective multicenter, multinational, investigational pilot study was conducted examining outcomes using a novel surgical technique, the Mini-Jupette sling, for the management of men with post-RP erectile dysfunction (ED) and climacturia and/or minimal stress urinary incontinence (SUI). We sought to report the 5-year outcomes from this original cohort. Objective To assess long-term safety and efficacy of the mini-jupette sling in the treatment of ED and concomitant mild SUI and/or climacturia Methods We identified patients who were enrolled in the previous multicenter study with post-RP ED and climacturia and/or mild SUI (2 ppd) and underwent IPP insertion with simultaneous placement of a Mini-Jupette sling. Data including current ppd, improvement in climacturia, complications, need for revision of IPP or additional urinary incontinence surgery, and date of most recent follow-up were collected. Results Of the original 38 patients, 5 have since died and 10 were lost to follow-up with 23/38 (61%) patients available for evaluation of long-term outcomes. The average follow-up time was 59 months (SD= 8.8) with a mean age of 69 years (SD= 6.8). Most patients (n=21, 91%) had subjective improvement of SUI and climacturia. One patient with persistent bothersome incontinence underwent artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) placement in 2018 with no complications, while the other is still considering a repeat procedure due to minor but persistent SUI. The mean ppd decreased from 1.4 preoperatively to 0.3 at a mean 5 years of follow-up. Most patients reported satisfaction in their urinary symptoms with 91% and 73% reporting improvement in SUI and climacturia respectively, compared to 86% and 93% respectively in the original series. One (4.3%) patient had an IPP revision for pump malfunction. There were no device infections reported. Conclusions The Mini-Jupette sling appears to be a safe and effective procedure with durable improvements in SUI and climacturia at 5 years of follow-up. Disclosure Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Coloplast, Clarus Therapeutics, Antares Pharma, Acerus, Intuitive Surgical, Fidalis, Hims &amp; Hers Health Inc

Trends over 20 years of antimicrobial prophylaxis for artificial urinary sphincter surgery.

Perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis is crucial for prevention of prosthesis and patient morbidity after artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) placement. While antibiotic guidelines exist for many urologic procedures, adoption patterns for AUS surgery are unclear. We aimed to assess trends in antibiotic prophylaxis for AUS and outcomes relative to American Urological Association (AUA) Best Practice guidelines. The Premier Healthcare Database was queried from 2000 to 2020. Encounters involving AUS insertion, revision/removal, and associated complications were identified via ICD and CPT codes. Premier charge codes were used to identify antibiotics used during the insertion encounter. AUS-related complication events were found using patient hospital identifiers. Univariable analysis between hospital/patient characteristics and use of guideline-adherent antibiotics was done via chi-squared and Kruskal-Wallis tests. A multivariable logistic mixed effects model was used to assess factors related to the odds of complication, specifically the use of guideline-adherent versus nonadherent regimens. Of 9775 patients with primary AUS surgery, 4310 (44.1%) received guideline-adherent antibiotics. The odds of guideline-adherent regimen use increased 7.7% per year with 53.0% (830/1565) receiving guideline-adherent antibiotics by the end of the study period. Patients with guideline-adherent regimens had a decreased risk of any complication (odds ratio [OR]: 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.74-0.93) and surgical revision (OR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.74-0.96) within 3 months; however, no significant difference in infection within was noted (OR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.68-1.17) within 3 months. Adherence to AUA antimicrobial guidelines for AUS surgery appears to have increased over the last two decades. While guideline-adherent regimens were associated with decreased risk of any complication and surgical intervention, no significant association was found with risk of infection. Surgeons appear to be increasingly following AUA recommendations for antimicrobial prophylaxis for AUS surgery, however, further level 1 evidence should be obtained to demonstrate conclusive benefit of these regimens.

Long-term assessment of the safety and effectivity of the mini-jupette sling: 5-year follow-up of the original series.

In 2017, a prospective multicenter, multinational, investigational pilot study was conducted examining outcomes using a novel surgical technique, the Mini-Jupette sling, for the management of erectile dysfunction (ED) patients with climacturia and/or minimal stress urinary incontinence (SUI) after prostate procedures. Climacturia has been reported in up to 64% of patients following radical prostatectomy (RP). We sought to report the 5-year outcomes from this original cohort to assess long-term safety and effectivity of the mini-jupette sling in the treatment of ED and concomitant mild SUI and/or climacturia. This is a single-arm, multicenter, retrospective, observational study. We identified patients who were enrolled in the previous multicenter study with post-RP ED and climacturia and/or mild SUI- 2 PADS PER DAY (PPD) and underwent inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) insertion with simultaneous placement of a mini-jupette sling. Data were collected including current PPD, subjective improvement in climacturia/SUI, complications, need for revision of IPP or additional urinary incontinence surgery, and date of most recent follow-up. SPSS was used for statistical analysis. Of the original 38 patients, 5 have since died and 10 were lost to follow-up with 23/38 (61%) patients available for evaluation of long-term outcomes. The average follow-up time was 59 months (SD =8.8) with a mean age of 69 years (SD =6.8). Most patients (n=21, 91%) had subjective improvement of SUI and climacturia. One patient with persistent bothersome incontinence underwent artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) placement in 2018 with no complications, while the other is still considering a repeat procedure due to minor but persistent SUI. The mean PPD decreased from 1.4 preoperatively to 0.4 at a mean of 5 years of follow-up. Most patients reported satisfaction in their urinary symptoms with 91% and 73% reporting improvement in SUI and climacturia respectively, compared to 86% and 93% respectively in the original series. One (4.3%) patient had an IPP revision for pump malfunction. There were no device infections reported. The mini-jupette sling appears to be a safe and effective procedure with durable improvements in SUI and climacturia at 5 years of follow-up.

Synchronous Bladder Neck Contracture Dilation at the Time of Artificial Urinary Sphincter Placement Is Safe and Effective

To treat men with bladder neck contracture and stress urinary incontinence, neither long-term nor comparative data exist to support the superiority of simultaneous bladder neck contracture intervention at the time of artificial urinary sphincter placement (synchronous) or staged bladder neck contracture intervention followed by artificial urinary sphincter placement (asynchronous). This study aimed to compare outcomes of patients treated with synchronous and asynchronous protocols. Using a prospectively maintained quality improvement database, we identified all men between the years of 2001-2021 with a history of bladder neck contracture and artificial urinary sphincter placement. Baseline patient characteristics and outcome measures were collected. Categorical data was assessed with Pearson's Chi-square and continuous data was assessed using independent sample t-tests or Wilcoxon Rank-Sum test. In total, 112 men met inclusion criteria. Thirty-two patients were treated synchronously and 80 were treated asynchronously. There were no significant differences between groups across 15 relevant variables. Overall follow-up duration was 7.1 (2.8,13.1) years. Three (9.3%) in the synchronous group and 13 (16.2%) in the asynchronous group experienced an erosion. There were no significant differences in frequency of erosion, time to erosion, artificial sphincter revision, time to revision, or bladder neck contracture recurrence. Bladder neck contracture recurrences after artificial sphincter placement were treated with serial dilation with no early device failure or erosion. Similar outcomes are achieved following synchronous and asynchronous treatment of bladder neck contracture and stress urinary incontinence. Synchronous approaches should be considered safe and effective for men with stress urinary incontinence and bladder neck contracture.

The "Minimal-Touch" Technique for Artificial Urinary Sphincter Placement: Description and Outcomes.

The study aimed to describe "minimal-touch" technique for primary artificial urinary sphincter placement and evaluate early device outcomes by comparing it with a historical cohort. We identified patients who underwent primary artificial urinary sphincter placement at our institution from 1983 to 2020. Statistical analysis was performed to identify the rate of postoperative device infection in patients who underwent minimal touch versus those who underwent our traditional technique. 526/2601 total procedures (20%) were performed using our "minimal-touch" approach, including 271/1554 patients (17%) who underwent primary artificial urinary sphincter placement over the study period. Around 2.3% of patients experienced device infection after artificial urinary sphincter procedures. In the "minimal-touch" era, 3/526 patients (0.7%) experienced device infection, including 1/271 (0.4%) of those with primary artificial urinary sphincter placement. In comparison, 46/2075 patients (2.7%) experienced device infection using the historical approach, with 29/1283 (2.3%) of primary artificial urinary sphincter placements resulting in removal for infection. Notably, 90% of device infections occurred within the first 6 months after primary placement. The difference in cumulative incidence of device infections at 12 months did not meet our threshold for statistical significance for either the total cohort of all AUS procedures (primary and revision) or the sub-group of only those patients undergoing primary artificial urinary sphincter placement (Gray K-sample test; P=.13 and .21, respectively). The "minimal-touch" approach for artificial urinary sphincter placement represents an easy-to-implement modification with potential implications on device outcomes. While early results appear promising, longer-term follow-up with greater statistical power is needed to determine whether this approach will lower the infection risk.

Catheter Free Day of Surgery Discharge Following Artificial Urinary Sphincter Placement

Myrga, John MD; Vasan, Robin MBBS; Miller, David T MD; Staniorski, Christopher MD; Taylor, Cory MD; Morrill, Christian BS; Islam, Raeesa BS; Rusilko, Paul J DO, FACS Author Information