title: Knotless "three-U-stitches" technique for urethrovesical anastomosis during laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.
abstract: We describe a new technique for urethrovesical anastomosis that consists of placing three "U" stitches of Monocryl 2-0 to connect the bladder neck and urethral stump together. The margins are united by a double passage of the suture, without tying any knots. The sutures are tied on the bladder's surface using Lapra-Ty clips fixed at a certain distance from where to two mucosal margins have been joined. We carried out this technique on 90 patients who underwent laparoscopic extraperitoneal radical prostatectomy. The good joining of the margins, the absence of knots and the minimum trauma to the urethral wall together enable to create an anastomosis that is both "sealed" and "tension free", allowing a quick "welding" of the margins and an early catheter removal. Regarding urinary continence, 56.6% (51) of patients were continent at catheter removal, 87.6% (78) were continent 3 months later and 98.9% (89) were continent after 6 months. In nine patients (10%), an episode of acute urinary retention occurred within 24 h after the removal of the catheter. We did not encounter any cases of vesicourethral anastomosis stenosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, S.S. Pietro and Paolo Hospital ASL VC, Borgosesia.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zarrelli
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mastroprimiano
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giovannone
authors.forename: Ettore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Berardinis
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: Gian Maria
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Busetto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D061646:Operative Time; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013536:Suture Techniques; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014513:Ureter / Q000601:surgery*; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000601:surgery*