Artificial Urinary Sphincter in Male Patients with Spina Bifida: Comparison of Perioperative and Functional Outcomes between Bulbar Urethra and Bladder Neck Cuff Placement.

Purpose: We evaluated the perioperative and long-term functional outcomes of bladder neck and peribulbar cuff placement of an artificial urinary sphincter in a population of adult male patients with spinal dysraphism.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the French spina bifida network database. Patients who underwent implantation of an artificial urinary sphincter from January 1985 to November 2015 were selected and stratified into 2 groups according to cuff location, that is bladder neck vs bulbar urethra. Explantation-free and revision-free device survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log rank test. Cox regression models were created to assess prognostic factors of artificial urinary sphincter device failure.

Results: A total of 65 patients were included in study. Most patients were not wheelchair bound. The cuff was implanted around the bulbar urethra at 46 procedures (59%) and around the bladder neck in 32 (41%). In the peribulbar and bladder neck groups median revision-free device survival was 11.7 and 14.3 years, respectively (p = 0.73). Median explantation-free device survival was 18.5 and 24.5 years, respectively (p = 0.08). On multivariate analysis clean intermittent catheterization was the only predictor of artificial urinary sphincter device failure. Cuff location had no influence. At the last followup satisfactory continence was similar in the 2 groups (83% vs 75%, p = 0.75).

Conclusions: In male patients with spinal dysraphism morbidity and functional outcomes were similar for bladder neck and bulbar urethra cuff placement but with a trend toward longer survival without explantation in the bladder neck group. Clean intermittent catheterization was the only predictor of shorter device survival on multivariate analysis.