Dysuria: An Uncommon Presentation in Emergency Department Following Bladder Neck Disruption

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Surgical Oncology
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in men.
• Prostatectomy complications range from common issues like incontinence to rarer, unreported events.
• Emergency physicians must recognize both frequent and uncommon post-operative complications.

Observation:

• A patient presented to the emergency department with dysuria and abdominal pain after urination.
• These symptoms followed a robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy.

Findings:

• The patient was diagnosed with posterior bladder neck disruption, a rare complication of prostatectomy.
• This condition presented with urinary symptoms and abdominal discomfort.

Implications:

• Highlights the importance of considering rare complications in post-prostatectomy patients presenting with abdominal pain and dysuria.
• Emphasizes the need for emergency physicians to maintain a high index of suspicion for less common surgical sequelae.
• Underscores the potential for serious, albeit infrequent, complications following minimally invasive prostate cancer surgery.