Purpose: To improve the rate of full continence in our patients, we performed, since June 1997, a careful preparation of the distally intraprostatic part of the membranous urethra to obtain a long urethral stump for the vesicourethral anastomosis.
Patients and methods: In all, 610 patients without (group 1) and 403 patients with (group 2) a long intraprostatic stump of the urethra were asked by a self-administered questionnaire about their continence status. The rate of positive surgical margins were compared as a marker of local tumour control.
Results: Full continence (no pads) was achieved in 76.02% in group 1 and in 88.84%, of all patients in group 2. Stress incontinence (SIC) I degrees was found in 12.46% and 7.44% respectively, SIC II degrees was noted in 8.69 and 3.72% and complete incontinence was seen in 2.79% in group 1 and in two patients (0.5%) in group 2. Also the time to reach the final continence status was statistically and highly significantly (P<0.001) shortened. The rate of positive margins decreased in group 2, despite intraprostatic preparation.
Conclusions: The preparation of a long, partially intraprostatic portion of the membranous urethra for vesicourethral anastomosis in radical retropubic prostatectomy leads to a statistically highly significant improvement of full continence and earlier continence in prostate cancer patients without compromising local tumour control.