Modified Inflatable Penile Prosthesis Reservoir Placement Into Space of Retzius: Comparing Outcomes in Men With or Without Prior Pelvic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Traditional inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) reservoir placement has rare but potentially serious complications including damage to local structures, and Levine and Hoeh (J Sex Med 2012;9:2759-2769) described a modified technique designed to avoid these complications.

AIM: To determine whether the modified Jorgenson scissors technique is safe and effective in patients who have had prior pelvic surgery.

METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on all patients who had a three-piece IPP placed by a single urologist from 2011 to 2015. Complication rates between the prior pelvic surgery group and the virgin pelvis group were compared using χ2 test. Differences between the two groups were considered statistically significant at a P value less than .05.

OUTCOMES: Reservoir-related complication rate and rate of converting to ectopic placement.

RESULTS: A total of 246 procedures were included, with 174 having no prior pelvic surgery and 72 with prior pelvic surgery. The reservoir-related complication rates were 2.8% (2 of 72) in the prior pelvic surgery group and 3.4% (6 of 174) in the virgin pelvis group. This difference was not statistically significant (P = .79). The two complications from the prior pelvic surgery cohort were inguinal hernias requiring surgical repair, which occurred in the same patient. In the virgin pelvis cohort, there were five inguinal hernias and one autoinflation. There were 16 patients who required ectopic placement of the reservoir owing to difficulty in entering the space of Retzius (SOR), 14 of whom had prior pelvic surgery.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: We believe this modified technique for IPP reservoir placement into the SOR is a safe alternative because the Jorgenson scissors allow perforation into the SOR away from vital structures.

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: The study is limited by the fact that it is a retrospective, single-center, chart review of a non-randomized surgical procedure with variable follow-up in a limited number of patients. Its strength is its applicability to provide surgeons a modified technique that can be used routinely for IPP reservoir placement that appears to be safe and effective, even in men who have had prior pelvic surgery.

CONCLUSION: In our experience, the modified Jorgenson scissors technique allows for safe entry into the SOR through a transverse scrotal incision and is a viable alternative to the standard SOR placement and the ectopic approach. Capoccia EM, Phelps JN, Levine LA. Modified Inflatable Penile Prosthesis Reservoir Placement Into Space of Retzius: Comparing Outcomes in Men With or Without Prior Pelvic Surgery. J Sex Med 2017;14:968-973.