Long-term follow up of sphincterotomy in spinal cord injured men

(Objectives) The long-term outcome of transurethral sphincterotomy (sphincterotomy) for the management of male quadriplegic patients with neurogenic bladder was examined. (Materials and methods) A total of 39 men with at least 5-years follow-up after sphincterotomy at our institute were included in this retrospective analysis. The mean age was 36.2 years (range 15-61). The mean follow-up period was 13.1 years (range 5-27). (Results) Of the 39 patients, 30 patients (77%) were successfully maintained in reflex voiding with a condom catheter and remaining 9 patients (23%) have received another urinary management, including 4 suprapubic cystostomy, 2 clean intermittent catheterization and 2 clean intermittent catheterization by care giver. The main reason that required another urinary management was the augmentation in autonomic hyperreflexia due to poor urinary drainage. Analysis of the urodynamic parameters revealed that the detrusor overactivity is hard to occur with time and this would be one of the reasons for the change of urinary management. In addition, the preoperative maximum bladder pressure in patients who has changed the urinary management due to the augmentation in AH was significantly lower than that in patients that has been successfully followed up in reflex voiding. (Conclusions) The long-term outcome of sphincterotomy was relatively good. However detrusor overactivity is hard to occur with time and this would be one of the important points during the postoperative routine follow up.