Prophylactic Antibiotics After Stented, Distal Hypospadias Repair: Randomized Pilot Study

The diversity of hypospadias management in North America: a survey of pediatric urologists

PURPOSE

To determine trends in hypospadias management, including surgical techniques and perioperative care, by pediatric urologists in North America.

METHODS

An anonymous online survey was devised to assess approaches to hypospadias repair and management, including anesthetic considerations, catheter placement, choice of dressing, and postoperative antibiotic treatment. The survey was sent to all practicing members of the Societies for Pediatric Urology.

RESULTS

The survey was completed by 133 (34.5%) respondents. Hypospadias repair was overwhelmingly recommended between ages 6-12 months (89.5%). A local or regional anesthetic block (caudal, penile, pudendal, spinal) is performed nearly universally (96.2%). The majority of surgeons perform distal repairs outpatient (70.7%), while fewer perform outpatient staged repairs (47.4%) or redo surgery (33.8%). Nearly all respondents preferred either VicrylTM/DexonTM (50.4%) or MaxonTM/PDSTM (48.1%) for urethroplasty. All but one respondent leaves a stent for midshaft to proximal repairs whereas stenting for glanular repairs was split with 53.4% leaving a stent. Most surgeons (60.9-70.9%) prescribe postoperative antibiotics regardless of severity and the majority (72.9%) prescribe narcotics for analgesia.

CONCLUSIONS

Approaches to hypospadias repair are extremely varied such that there is a lack of consensus among pediatric urologists regarding most aspects of hypospadias management. Investigations comparing hypospadias practice patterns are necessary to develop a standard of care for this complex pediatric urologic entity.

A Systematic Review on Postoperative Antibiotic Prophylaxis after Pediatric and Adult Male Urethral Reconstruction

In the era of antibiotic overuse and increasing antibiotic resistance, there is a gap in evidence regarding antibiotic stewardship, and in particular, perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis after urethral reconstruction. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness and relevance of postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis after male pediatric and adult urethral reconstruction. An online search of MEDLINE database via PubMed was performed. The systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022348555) and was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines and AMSTAR 2 checklist. A narrative synthesis of included studies was performed. After the screening of 1176 publications, six studies regarding antibiotic prophylaxis after hypospadias reconstruction and two studies regarding antibiotic prophylaxis after urethroplasty in adults were eligible to be included in the systematic review. All but one of the studies on hypospadias repair showed no benefit from postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis. The level of evidence on postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis after urethroplasty in adults is low. Neither of the two studies included in the review showed a benefit from antibiotic use. Postoperative prophylaxis after hypospadias repair is not effective in preventing urinary tract infections and wound infections. It seems that the use of postoperative prophylaxis after urethroplasty in adults is also not beneficial, but there is a high need for high-quality scientific data.

Choosing the Right Catheter for Pediatric Procedures: Patient Considerations and Preference

Determining the need for bladder decompression and urinary diversion in the perioperative pediatric surgical patient can cause a clinical conundrum for the surgical team. Add in the several different types of urinary diversion devices possible, and the various materials associated therein and the process can suddenly seem unnecessarily daunting given the lack of concise recommendations and broad consensus. The decision to divert urine, though seemingly trivial, is associated with inherent risks. Managing and mitigating certain risks are best approached through proper education, selection, and technique. We provide a broad overview of pediatric catheter selection, indications, and pitfalls to streamline the process so that energy and attention can best be focused on the planned intervention at hand.

Oral Antibiotic Use Following Stented Hypospadias Repair: Does It Play a Role in the Prevention of Urinary Tract Infections?

Background: There is a lack of consensus regarding the role of oral antibiotics following hypospadias repair. Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the role of oral antibiotic use following stented Tubularized incised plate urethroplasty (TIPU) in the prevention of bacteriuria and urinary tract infections (UTIs). Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 40 patients undergoing stented TIPU for coronal hypospadias between January 2014 and December 2016. The average age of the subjects was 13.2 months at the time of surgery, ranging from 11 to 16 months. The patients were divided into two groups. Group A consisted of 20 patients receiving oral antibiotics until urethral catheter removal, whereas group B consisted of 20 patients without any oral antibiotics postoperatively. Results: The two groups were followed for three years. The urethral catheter was removed eight days postoperatively in the two groups. In group A, the patients received oral antibiotics as long as the catheter was left in situ. Urine samples were collected from the patients and sent for analysis and culture at the time of stent removal and after three weeks. The results showed that 3/20 (15%) patients from group A had pyuria and bacteriuria, while all of them had negative urine culture results. On the other hand, in group B, 8/20 (40%) patients had pyuria and bacteriuria (P > 0.05), and four (20.0%) patients had positive urine cultures for Escherichia coli (P < 0.05), sensitive to co-trimoxazole. None of the patients in the two groups had febrile UTI. Conclusions: The use of oral antibiotics for patients following stented TIPU reduces pyuria and significantly decreases positive urine culture results and the risk of UTI after surgery.