The effects of primary realignment or suprapubic cystostomy on prostatic displacement in patients with pelvic fracture urethral injury: a clinical study based on MR urethrography.

Background: To provide direct evidence of whether primary realignment (PR) or suprapubic cystostomy (SPC) had different effects on the prostatic displacement and prognosis in patients with pelvic fracture urethral injury who needed delay anastomotic urethroplasty based on Magnetic Resonance (MR) urethrography.

Methods: We screened the urethral stenosis database of our single institution from January 2016 to June 2020. Patients who underwent delayed anastomotic urethroplasty with a preoperative MR urethrography and no treatment history of urethra were included. We compared the urethral gap length and prostatic displacement between the PR and SPC group based on MR urethrography. The terminal outcomes such as stenosis-free rate, urinary continence and erectile function were also analyzed between two groups.

Results: 66 patients were included in this retrospective study in which 36 were in PR group and 30 in SPC group. Mean follow-up time was 15.1 months (3-38 months). One and two patients experienced recurrence of stenosis after urethroplasty in two groups (p = 1.000). No difference of erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence was found between two groups. Based on MR urethrography, the urethral gap length was 17.4 mm and 23.3 mm (p = 0.008) which presented a significant decrease in PR group. The superior prostatic displacement was similar in two groups (9.8 mm vs. 13.8 mm, p = 0.081). The numbers and distance of displacement on lateral aspect showed no difference, either. However, PR group had less anterior-posterior prostatic displacement (p = 0.005). Besides, the erectile function was significantly related to the lateral prostatic displacement (p = 0.030/0.047).

Conclusions: Based on MR urethrography, patients in PR group showed shorter urethral gap distance and slighter anterior-posterior prostatic displacement without extra erectile dysfunction or incontinence. Besides, patients' erectile function might be significantly related to the lateral prostatic displacement.