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Artificial sphincter insertion after radiotherapy: is it worthwhile?
A Manunta1, F Guillé, J J Patard
1Department of Urology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Pontchaillou, Rennes, France.
Objective:
To determine the influence of radiotherapy on the outcome of artificial urinary sphincter implantation.
Patients And Methods:
A series of 72 men who had an artificial urinary sphincter inserted were reviewed retrospectively, analysing in detail the information from 15 patients with a past history of pelvic radiotherapy.
Results:
In those who had undergone radiotherapy, the complication rate was higher, both for re-operation (eight of 15) and infection (three); 11 of the 15 patients were continent after surgery, compared with 51 (89%) of the 57 in the unirradiated group.
Conclusions:
An artificial sphincter can be inserted after pelvic radiotherapy reasonably successfully, but at the cost of a high complication and re-operation rate. Patients with a previous history of radiotherapy should be informed of the higher risk of surgical revision associated with insertion of the prosthesis.