Long-Term Outcomes Following Surgical Management of Urethral Catheter Injuries in Men With Spinal Cord Injury

Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of surgical management of men with spina cord injury (SCI) with subsequent catheter damage to the urethra that prevents clean intermittent catheterization (CIC). Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of male SCI individuals on CIC with catheter-induced urethral injuries who had undergone an operative intervention in the last 30 years at our institution. The offered surgical managements were direct vision internal urethrotomy (DVIU) or urethroplasty (UP). Continent diversion (CDIV) was indicated when reconstruction was not possible. Results: A total of 43 male SCI patients were identified. Median age was 50 years (IQR 41 to 57), and follow-up was 69 months (IQR 34 to 125). Inability to perform CIC was due to urethral stricture (25), false passages (11), fistula (4), diverticulum (2), and urethral erosion (1) . Primary intervention techniques were DVIU, UP, and CDIV. Overall primary success, defined by the ability to return to continent CIC, was 25/43 (58%); secondary surgery (10 CDIV, 3 UP, 1 DVIU) rescued 14/18 failures for a final 91% success rate. Conclusion: Urethral injuries in men with SCI are complex, but individualized continued surgical management can be successful in up to 90% of patients. Therefore, reconstruction should be considered in this population to restore continent intermittent catheterization.