[Easy and effective assessment of the anastomosis after radical retropubic prostatectomy. Uroscopy before imaging?].

After radical prostatectomy, urinary extravasation at the anastomosis is common. Nevertheless, no data exist regarding the optimal time for catheter removal at the time of expected complete healing of the leakage. Therefore, over the last 10 years we have developed a standardized way to check the healing of the anastomosis. From 1999 to 2008, 1,479 radical prostatectomies were performed. Of those, 752 could be evaluated using the standardized method of checking the anastomosis for complete healing. All patients were postoperatively evaluated by cystogram. The date for checking the anastomosis/extravasation was determined by the color of the urine (cloudy, clear, or bloody). In the 752 evaluated patients (mean age 64 years), urinary extravasation was detected 2-8 days postoperatively in 41%, 9-12 days postoperatively in 16%, and in no patient 21 days postoperatively. The measured volume of urinary extravasation after 2-8 days postoperatively was 15 ml (3-49 ml) using cystogram evaluation. After 9-12 days, the volume was determined by cystogram to be 9 ml (3-24 ml). Macroscopic evaluation of the urinary color correlated very well with the likelihood of extravasation still being present. When the urine was cloudy or colored by old blood, extravasation was present in 86% of the patients (predictive value 0.99, specificity 97%). Microscopic evaluation of the urine on the same day showed that significant leukocyturia or hematuria correlated with persistent extravasation in 49% of the patients (sensitivity 98%, specificity 34%). The transurethral catheter remained in place for a mean of 7.9 days (4-31 days). After radical prostatectomy, the macroscopic color of the urine is evaluated as a single criterion for determining the time for assessing for possible persisting leakage of the anastomosis. Microscopic urine evaluation is less effective.