Manual Dexterity Predictors of Artificial Urinary Sphincter Success

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Reconstructive Surgery
• Patient Outcomes

Background:

• Artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) placement is a treatment for stress urinary incontinence.
• Predicting patient satisfaction and functional outcomes after AUS is crucial for surgical success.
• Standardized in-office measures are needed to assess pre-operative functional status relevant to AUS use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate preoperative manual function tests for predicting postoperative outcomes of artificial urinary sphincter placement.
• To identify simple, in-office assessments that correlate with patient satisfaction, confidence, and ease of use after AUS surgery.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 39 patients undergoing AUS for stress urinary incontinence.
• Preoperative assessments included timed 9-hole peg test, pinch strength, grip strength, and upper extremity questionnaire.
• Postoperative outcomes assessed at 3 months included satisfaction, confidence, and ease of use via surveys.

Main Results:

• 59% of patients reported high satisfaction, 64% experienced no difficulty, and 54% felt confident within 1 day post-surgery.
• The preoperative pinch test was significantly associated with postoperative satisfaction (P=.011).
• The preoperative 9-hole peg test was significantly associated with postoperative confidence (P=.049).

Conclusions:

• The pinch and 9-hole peg transfer tests are cost-effective and easily performed.
• These tests can aid in evaluating patients undergoing artificial urinary sphincter placement, particularly those with unclear manual functional status.
• Incorporating these simple tests may improve the prediction of patient-reported outcomes after AUS surgery.