Exploring the intersection of functional recurrence, patient-reported sexual function, and treatment satisfaction after anterior buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty

Abstract

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the interplay of stricture recurrence, sexual function, and treatment satisfaction after substitution urethroplasty. Methods Observational study of men undergoing 1-stage buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty for anterior urethral stricture between 2009 and 2016. Patients were dichotomized by self-reported treatment satisfaction. Sexual function was assessed by validated and non-validated patient-reported outcome measures. Functional recurrence was defined as symptomatic need of re-intervention. Bivariate analyses, Kaplan–Meier estimates, qualitative and quantitative analyses by uni- and multivariable regression were employed to evaluate the interplay of sexual function, functional recurrence, and treatment satisfaction. Results Of 534 men with bulbar (82%), penobulbar (11%), and penile strictures (7.3%), 451 (84%) were satisfied with the surgery. There were no differences in stricture location, previous treatment, graft length, or surgical technique between satisfied and unsatisfied patients (all p  ≥  0.2). Recurrence-free survival was 85% at a median follow-up of 33 mo and decreased significantly with each Likert item towards increasing dissatisfaction (p  <  0.001). Dissatisfied patients more often reported postoperative loss of rigidity, tumescence, reduced ejaculatory volume, ejaculatory pain, and reduced penile length (all p  ≤  0.042). In 83 dissatisfied men, functional recurrence (28%) and oral morbidity (20%) were the main drivers of dissatisfaction in qualitative analysis. Multivariable analyses revealed functional recurrence and impaired postoperative ejaculatory function as independent predictors of treatment dissatisfaction (all p  ≤  0.029) after adjusting for confounders. Conclusion We found an association of both functional success and sexual function with patient-reported treatment satisfaction after substitution urethroplasty. Such findings validate the clinical significance of defining the symptomatic need for re-intervention as an endpoint and underline the importance of further research evaluating sexual function before and after open urethral reconstruction.