Introduction. Over the past 30 years in reconstructive urology there has been a tendency to reduce the frequency of use of minimally invasive methods of surgical treatment of urethral strictures of various localizations and the predominant use of reconstructive plastic interventions with the expansion of the narrowed area of the urethra using inserts from various tissues. Buccal dilation urethroplasty is currently recognized as the optimal treatment option for urethral strictures of various locations and of varying length. Thus, the issue of choosing the most appropriate method of surgical intervention for recurrent urethral strictures, in the context of a possible increase in the risk of complications, requires additional research.
Purpose. To analyze and evaluate the results and complications after plastic surgery of recurrent urethral strictures using a free autograft of the buccal mucosa.
Materials and methods. The analysis included data on 51 patients operated on at the Research Institute of Urology and Interventional Radiology named after. N.A. Lopatkina–branch of the Federal State Budgetary Institution National Medical Research Center of Radiology of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation for the period from 2014 to 2021 regarding recurrent urethral stricture. The average age of the patients was 36.2±1.6 years (from 18 to 58 years). The diagnosis of recurrent urethral stricture was confirmed by anamnesis, clinical and laboratory examination according to a standard protocol, and special examination methods (uroflowmetry, ultrasound examination of the bladder, retrograde or antegrade cystourethrography, voiding urethrography).
According to indications, fibrourethrocystoscopy was performed. According to radiological research methods, the localization and extent of urethral stricture were determined. The functional state of the bladder and the severity of bladder outlet obstruction were determined by the volume of residual urine determined by ultrasound of the bladder, as well as by uroflowmetry data.
Results. An analysis of the results and complications after plastic surgery of recurrent urethral strictures using a buccal flap was carried out after repeated operations. As the length of the stricture increases, the risk of its recurrence increases significantly. The most significant factors are the location of the stricture in the penile region and its extent. No other long-term complications (newly developed urinary incontinence/erectile dysfunction) were observed in any case in the analyzed group of patients.
Conclusion. Repeated operations for recurrent urethral strictures can eliminate urinary disorders with an effectiveness close to (or equal to) that of primary operations. When choosing a method of surgical treatment of recurrent strictures, both the extent of the stricture and its location should be taken into account. The presence of an extended stricture of the penile urethra may be a risk factor for its recurrence. Complications that develop after repeated operations in the vast majority of cases are not life-threatening. The question of the effectiveness of different types of surgery requires additional research with the accumulation of clinical material.
