Margit Fisch, MD, FEAPU, FEBU, presented “Bulbar Urethroplasty: What the Patient Should Know about Complications” during the 44th Annual Ralph E. Hopkins Urology Seminar on February 8, 2025, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
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How to cite: Fisch, Margit. “Bulbar Urethroplasty: What the Patient Should Know about Complications.” February 8, 2025. Accessed Mar 2025. https://grandroundsinurology.com/bulbar-urethroplasty-what-the-patient-should-know-about-complications/
Bulbar Urethroplasty: What the Patient Should Know about Complications – Summary
Margit Fisch, MD, FEAPU, FEBU, explores the critical aspects of informing patients before urethroplasty. In this 19-minute presentation, Dr. Fisch details various surgical techniques and possible complications.
Dr. Fisch gives an overview of one-stage transecting techniques, such as end-to-end anastomosis, and augmented anastomotic repair with a graft, an option for longer segments. Non-transecting techniques and graft augmentation methods offer alternatives. Two-stage or multi-stage procedures may be required, and intraoperative findings often influence surgical plans.
She reviews surgical complications, though generally rare, including bleeding, catheter-related issues, and lithotomy position-related risks such as deep vein thrombosis or compartment syndrome. Early postoperative complications include urinary tract infections, perioperative transfusions, and wound infections.
Dr. Fisch shares long-term outcomes for different procedures, including post-void dribbling, erectile dysfunction, penile shortening, and sensory disturbances. Despite complications, most patients report high satisfaction, reinforcing the need for preoperative counseling on expected functional outcomes.
About The 44th Annual Ralph E. Hopkins Urology Seminar:
The Ralph E. Hopkins Urology Seminar is a multi-day meeting focused on training urologists in the latest in assessing, diagnosing, and treating urologic conditions in the clinical setting. Updates are provided on urologic cancers, stone disease, urologic reconstruction, female urology, infertility, sexual function, emerging surgical techniques, and general urology. The 44th iteration of the meeting took place from February 5th to February 8th, 2025, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
For further educational activities from this conference, visit our collection page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Margit Fisch, MD, FEAPU, FEBU, is Director of the Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. Her major professional interest is reconstructive urology, especially urethral reconstruction and urinary diversion. In cooperation with the Center of Urology and Nephrology in Mansoura, Egypt, she contributed major advances to ureteral implantation and urinary diversion using the anal sphincter, including developing and publishing the “sigma-rectum pouch” technique. In cooperation with the University College in Dublin, Ireland, and Prof. John Fitzpatrick, she created the “transverse colonic pouch” technique, among others.
Dr. Fisch trained with Professor Rudolf Hohenfellner and Joachim W. Thüroff in Mainz, Germany. In 2000 she moved to Hamburg to become Head of the Section of Pediatric Urology at the Asklepios Clinic and became Director of the Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology in 2002. She has held her University of Hamburg position since December 2008. Dr. Fisch is Fellow of the European Board of Urology (FEBU) and the European Academy of Paediatric Urology (FEAPU). She is an elected International Member of the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons (AAGUS) and the Society of Pelvic Surgeons (SPS). She is a member of the Association of Academic European Urologists (AAEU). She has served as President of the Society of Genito-Urinary Surgeons (GURS) and the European Society of Genito-Urinary Surgeons (ESGURS) and was the first female President of the German Association of Urology (2021 – 2022). Memberships include the European Association of Paediatric Urology (ESPU), Society of Pediatric Urologic Surgeons (SPUS), the European Association of Urology (EAU), the American Association of Urology (AUA), the German Association of Urology (DGU) and the German-Japanese Confederation of Urology. Dr. Fisch has published over 300 papers and book chapters, with over 90 as first author, and she organizes the International Meeting on Reconstructive Urology (IMORU).
Dr. Fisch trained with Professor Rudolf Hohenfellner and Joachim W. Thüroff in Mainz, Germany, and became a staff member at Mainz Medical School in 1992. She served as Vice-Chair of the Department of Urology before moving to Hamburg to become Head of the Section of Pediatric Urology at the Asklepios Clinic in 2000. In 2002, she became Director of the Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology. She has held her University of Hamburg position since December 2008.
Dr. Fisch is Fellow of the European Board of Urology (FEBU) and the European Academy of Paediatric Urology (FEAPU). Additionally, she is Adjunct Scientific Chair and Board Member of the Société Internationale d’Urologie (SIU), and an elected International Member of both the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons (AAGUS) and the Society of Pelvic Surgeons (SPS). She has served as President of the Society of Genito-Urinary Surgeons (GURS) and the European Society of Genito-Urinary Surgeons (ESGURS).
Memberships include the European Association of Paediatric Urology (ESPU), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Society of Pediatric Urologic Surgeons (SPUS), the European Association of Urology (EAU), the American Association of Urology (AUA), the German Association of Urology (DGU), the Panafrican Association of Urology (PAUSA), and the German-Japanese Confederation of Urology.
She has published >300 papers and book chapters, with >90 as first author, and organizes the tri-annual International Meeting on Reconstructive Urology (IMORU).
