Anatomical and Manometric Comparison of Perineal and Transscrotal Approaches to Artificial Urinary Sphincter Placement
Abstract
Purpose:
We compared cuff sites and assessed anatomical and manometric differences between the transscrotal and perineal approaches to artificial urinary sphincter placement in fresh male cadavers.
Materials and Methods:
Artificial urinary sphincter implantation using perineal and transscrotal incisions was performed in 15 fresh male cadavers. The artificial urinary sphincter cuffs were placed as proximal as possible using each approach. After measuring urethral circumference at each cuff site, an appropriately sized cuff was placed at each location. The 61 to 70 cm H2O pressure reservoir and control pump were then connected to the cuffs. Retrograde leak point pressure was assessed sequentially across each cuff. The paired t test was used to compare urethral circumference and retrograde leak point pressure between the 2 approaches.
Results:
Mean urethral circumference using the perineal and transscrotal approaches was 5.38 (range 3.2 to 7.5) and 3.81 cm (range 3 to 4.5), respectively (p <0.0001, 95% CI of difference 0.99–2.13). Mean retrograde leak point pressure using the perineal and transscrotal approaches was 90.1 and 64.9 cm H2O, respectively (p = 0.0002, 95% CI of difference 13.7–33.5). On visual inspection of cuff sites, the perineal approach was more proximal on the urethra than the transscrotal approach.
Conclusions:
While the transscrotal approach to artificial urinary sphincter placement has the advantage of technical ease, the anatomical and manometric findings of this cadaver study suggest that the perineal approach offers a more proximal cuff location, more robust urethral size and more effective urethral coaptation than the transscrotal approach.
References
- 1 : New surgical technique for sphincter urinary control system using upper transverse scrotal incision. J Urol2003; 169: 261. Link, Google Scholar
- 2 : A multicenter study on the perineal versus penoscrotal approach for implantation of an artificial urinary sphincter: cuff size and control of male stress urinary incontinence. J Urol2009; 182: 2404. Link, Google Scholar
- 3 : Perineal approach for artificial urinary sphincter implantation appears to control male stress incontinence better than the transscrotal approach. J Urol2008; 179: 1475. Link, Google Scholar
- 4 : Re: new surgical technique for sphincter urinary control system using upper transverse scrotal incision. J Urol2003; 170: 550. Link, Google Scholar
- 5 :
Surgical procedures for sphincteric incontinence . In: Campbell-Walsh Urology. Edited by . Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders2011: 2290. Google Scholar - 6 : A new quadratic sling for male stress incontinence: retrograde leak point pressure as a measure of urethral resistance. J Urol2012; 187: 563. Link, Google Scholar
- 7 : Retrograde leak point pressure for evaluating postradical prostatectomy incontinence. Urology1997; 49: 231. Google Scholar
