ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the clinical outcome of early endoscopic realignment with flexible cystoscope for pelvic fracture urethral injury.Methods:We retrospectively collected and analyzed the clinical data of patients with pelvic fracture urethral injuries in ER of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from March 2018 to June 2022.Seventy-six male patients with PFUI were reviewed and 60 patients were included due to the integrity of data collected. The patients were divided into early endoscopic realignment (EER) group and suprapubic cystostomy (SC) group according to the acute management. There were 33 patients and 27 patients in EER group and SC group, respectively. The age of the patients were (42.2±13.8)years and (44.1±15.0) years in EER group and SC group, respectively. The causes of the injuries were car accident, falling and crush, the percentage of the patients were 60.6%(20 cases), 33.3%(11 cases), 6.1%(2 cases) and 55.6%(15 cases), 44.4%(12 cases), 0 in EER group and SC group, respectively. The difference between two groups was statistically insignificant. The procedure of EER began with a cystostomy guided by B ultrasound, then an antegrade cystoscopy was performed through the cystostomy while negociating the bladder neck to the proximal side of injured urethra. A ureteral stent was inserted into the broken urethra and retrieved by a forceps through retrograde urethroscopy with another flexible cystoscope. We inserted a guidewire into the ureteral stent before removing it and placed a 16F urethral catheter along the guidewire. We analyzed the difference between two groups including the incidence, the length and the management of urethral stricture and the complexity of urethroplasty if needed. The simple urethroplasty was defined as performing anastomosis after dissection of the bulbar urethral and removing the scar tissue, while the procedure was defined as complex urethroplasty if ancillary procedures, such as separating the corporal bodies and partial pubectomy, was needed.Results:The EER group and SC group had 33 patients and 27 patients, respectively. The mean operation time of EER was (24.5±7.0)minutes and there was no intra-operative complications. Postoperatively, 4 cases of bleeding and 2 cases of UTI were found, which were successfully treated by conservative managements. Twenty-eight out of 33 patients(84.8%) in EER group developed urethral stricture and the mean length of it was (3.10±1.20)cm. However, all patients in SC group developed urethral stricture (100.0%) with the mean stricture length of (3.83±1.18)cm. The difference between two groups in term of the length of stricture was statistically significant ( P=0.026). 24 patients(85.7%) in EER group were treated by urethroplsty, 2 patients(7.1%) with endoscopic urethrotomy and 2 patients (7.1%) with dilation. All were treated with urethroplasty but 2 patients with endoscopic in SC group. In EER group, 8 strictures (33.3%)finished with simple urethroplasty and 16 strictures (66.7%) with complex urethroplasty.While in SC group, 6 strictures(24.0%) completed with simple urethroplasty and 19 strictures (76.0%)with complex urethroplasty. The complexity of urethroplasty performed in EER group was not statistically significant when compared with it in SC group( P=0.538). Conclusions:The procedure of EER with flexible cystoscope is reliable and safe. Most patients with formed urethral stricture after PFUI would be treated with urethroplasty. EER can reduce the urethral stricture formation and may decrease the need of the ancillary procedures during the urethroplasties if needed.