The impact of surgical sequence on outcome rates of artificial urinary sphincter implantation: comparative effectiveness of primary, secondary and repeat implantation.

Purpose: To determine whether salvage artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) implantation after prior incontinence surgery achieves outcomes comparable to primary AUS implantation.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated data of patients undergoing AUS implantation from 2009 to 2014. Functional outcome was objectified by 1-h stress pad test, uroflowmetry, post-void residual urine measurement, clinical examination, and chart review. Complications were categorized according to Clavien-Dindo classification system. Kaplan-Meier analysis determined explantation-free survival.

Results: A total of 235 patients were included of whom 165 (70.2%) underwent primary AUS. In 70 patients, salvage incontinence surgery was performed, with 24 (10.2%) patients undergoing AUS reimplantation after prior AUS surgery (repeat AUS) and 46 (19.6%) patients undergoing AUS surgery after any other type of incontinence surgery (secondary AUS). There were no significant differences in rates of continence among primary AUS and repeat AUS patients. Patients undergoing secondary AUS had significantly better continence rates than primary and repeat AUS patients. Three-year explantation-free survival rates after AUS insertion were 82.3% (primary AUS), 78.6% (repeat AUS) and 81.5% (secondary AUS). There were no differences in complication rates among the groups.

Conclusion: AUS is a safe option in the treatment of severe incontinence even after prior AUS or any other prior incontinence surgery and can still achieve satisfactory outcomes as salvage treatment.