LAUSR

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the impact of cardiovascular, metabolic and smoking related risk factors on recurrence in patients with buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty (BMGU) for anterior urethral strictures. PATIENTS AND METHODS Retrospective single-center analysis between 2009 and 2016. Covariates included American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score, body mass index (BMI) and smoking status (never vs. ever), coronary artery disease (CAD), arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, change in hemoglobin, creatinine, c-reactive protein and leucocyte count. Descriptive and survival analyses evaluated the association with stricture recurrence. RESULTS Overall, 1039 patients had BMGU of which 517 remained for final analysis. Patients with stricture recurrence (n=76) were significantly older (p<0.001), had a higher ASA score (p=0.006), higher proportion CAD (p=0.011) and hypertension (p=0.003) compared to those patients without stricture recurrence. Patients without stricture recurrence had a significantly larger drop in hemoglobin (Hb) (1.5 [0.9, 2.1] vs. 1.2 [0.7, 1.8]) mg/dl (p=0.005). Overall stricture-free recurrence rate was 86%, with a median follow-up of 32 [95% confidence interval: 26-30] months. In multivariable analysis, a larger drop of hemoglobin remained the only independent, statistically significant negative predictor of stricture recurrence (Hazard ratio [HR], 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.74, 0.57-0.97, p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS A larger drop of hemoglobin is independently associated with recurrence free survival. This may be considered as a surrogate marker for good microvascular circulation of the corpus spongiosum and therefore neovascularization of the graft. Contrary to the existing and mostly heterogenous previous studies, our findings suggest that stricture recurrence is largely independent of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors.