Timing of male urethral injury treatment in patients with polytrauma: A retrospective study

INTRODUCTION

Male urethral injuries are uncommon, and the ideal timing of the definitive treatment remains controversial. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of early and delayed interventions (1 month or more after the injury) for male urethral injuries.

PATIENT AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of 67 male patients with urethral injuries treated at our institution between 2011 and 2020. We examined patient age, injury severity score (ISS), abbreviated injury scale, mechanism, location and severity of injury, presence of pelvic fractures, surgical interventions, timing of treatment, and complications. We analysed factors associated with urinary complications based on the location of urethral injury. Additionally, we performed a subset analysis of patients with severe injuries (ISS≥16) to assess the impact of delayed surgery.

RESULTS

Overall, 47 %, 37 %, and 27 % of patients in the delayed treatment group (N = 30) had urethral stricture (US), erectile dysfunction (ED), and/or urinary incontinence (UI). These rates were greater than the 22 % US, 3 % ED, and 11 % UI rates in the early treatment group (N = 37). The subgroup analysis revealed that patients with anterior urethral injury (AUI) who underwent delayed treatment (N = 18) tended to be more severely injured (ISS, 19 vs 9, p = 0.003) and exhibited higher rates of US (44% vs 21 %, p = 0.193) and ED (39% vs 0 %, p = 0.002) than those who received early treatment (N = 24). In the case of posterior urethral injury (PUI), the delayed treatment group (N = 13) had higher rates of US (50% vs 23 %, p = 0.326), ED (33% vs 8 %, p = 0.272), and UI (42% vs 0 %, p = 0.030) than the early treatment group. Regarding study limitations, more than 45 % of the enrolled patients were severely injured (ISS≥16), which may have potentially influenced the timing of urethral injury repair.

CONCLUSIONS

The treatment of male urethral injuries may be delayed due to concurrent polytrauma and other associated injuries. However, delayed treatment is associated with higher rates of urinary complications. Early treatment of urethral injuries may be beneficial to male patients with urethral trauma, even in cases of severe injury.

Preservation of left colic artery in laparoscopic colorectal operation: The benefit challenge

BACKGROUND

During laparoscopic resection for colorectal cancer, there is controversy regarding whether the left colic artery (LCA) should be preserved at its origin.

AIM

To investigate the prognostic significance of preservation of the LCA in colorectal cancer surgery.

METHODS

Patients were divided into two groups. The high ligation (H-L) technique (refers to ligation performed 1 cm from the beginning of the inferior mesenteric artery) group consisted of 46 patients, and the low ligation (L-L) technique (refers to ligation performed below the initiation of the LCA) group consisted of 148 patients. Operative time, blood loss, lymph nodes with tumor invasion, postoperative complications and recovery time, recurrence rate, and 5-year survival rate were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The average number of lymph nodes detected in postoperative pathological specimens was 17.4/person in the H-L group and 15.9/person in the L-L group. There were 20 patients (43%) with positive lymph nodes (lymph node metastasis) in the H-L group and 60 patients (41%) in the L-L group. No statistical differences were found between the groups. Complications occurred in 12 cases (26%) in the H-L group and in 26 cases (18%) in the L-L group. The incidences of postoperative anastomotic complications and functional urinary complications were significantly lower in the L-L group. The 5-year survival rates in H-L and L-L groups were 81.7% and 81.6%, respectively, and relapse-free survival rates were 74.3% and 77.1%, respectively. The two groups were similar statistically.

CONCLUSION

Complete mesenteric resection combined with lymph node dissection around the inferior mesenteric artery root while preserving the LCA is a beneficial surgical approach during laparoscopic resection for colorectal cancer.

Urinary reconstruction following total pelvic exenteration for locally advanced rectal cancer: complications and factors affecting outcomes

INTRODUCTION

Total pelvic exenteration (TPE) for rectal cancers is associated with significant morbidity. We evaluated the complications related to urinary reconstruction following TPE and factors predicting urologic morbidity.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of TPE patients with incontinent urinary diversions between August 2013 and January 2020.

RESULTS

One hundred TPE were performed with 96 ileal conduits (IC). Early complications occurred in 10 patients that included uretero-ileal leaks (5%), conduit-related complications (3%), and acute pyelonephritis (3%). Late complications were seen in 26% of patients with uretero-intestinal strictures in 11%. Mortality attributable to urinary complications was seen in 2%. No single factor, including prior radiation, recurrent disease, type of anastomosis, or blood loss, predicted development of urinary morbidity.

CONCLUSION

Conduit urinary diversion following TPE is associated with high urinary morbidity rate but low mortality. It can be safely performed even after previous surgeries and radiation by a dedicated colorectal team.

[Lower urinary tract dysfunction following nerve sparing radical hysterectomy: A systematic review]

INTRODUCTION

Radical hysterectomy represents the cornerstone in the management of localized cervical cancer. Despite its oncologic efficacy, radical hysterectomy is associated with a significant amount of complications and a negative impact on quality of life. Surgical technique seems to influence the functional outcomes.

AIM OF THE STUDY

A systematic review to provide an update on the lower urinary tract dysfunction following nerve sparing radical hysterectomy.

METHODS

An initial search was carried out to identify articles for further review, using Cochrane reviews and PubMed and Embase databases. The search terms used were: "nerve sparing" and "cervical cancer" or "radical hysterectomy". The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses process for reporting included and excluded studies was followed, with the recommended flowchart showing the numbers of papers identified and included or excluded at each stage.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine clinical studies were included. The absence of a standardized surgical technique for nerve sparing radical hysterectomy and the poor methodological quality of the studies assessing lower urinary tract dysfunction after such intervention limited clear conclusions. However, all studies reported lower incidence of urinary tract dysfunction, urodynamic abnormalities and clean intermittent catheterization following nerve sparing radical hysterectomy compared to conventional technique.

CONCLUSION

Nerve sparing radical hysterectomy is associated with reduced lower urinary tract dysfunction. A standardization of the surgical technique for nerve sparing radical hysterectomy, tailored to each individual is necessary to allow its wide spread diffusion.