Management of War-related Genitourinary Injuries

Objective: This study aimed to share the diagnosis and treatment results of patients who received genitourinary system interventions or surgeries for injuries sustained during the Syrian Civil War. Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent surgery for firearm injury-related urological trauma and other system injuries accompanied by urological trauma in a border city hospital urology department between October 2012 and May 2016 were evaluated. In addition, patients were classified according to trauma area and presence of accompanying non-genitourinary trauma. Results: Isolated genitourinary injuries were present in 7 of 37 patients (18.9%) who were brought to the emergency service due to war injuries. The most common accompanying damage to the genitourinary system was abdominal injury (56.7%), and 15 (40.5%) patients had intervention after intraoperative consultation. When urological injuries were classified, there were 19 (51.3%) major renal injuries, 3 (8.1%) ureteral injuries, 7 (18.9%) bladder injuries, 4 (10.9%) posterior urethral injuries, 3 (8.1%) testicular injuries, and 3 (8.1%) external genital organ injuries. The most common urological surgical procedure was nephrectomy, and the second was bladder perforation repair. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach especially for patients with war-related injuries. Moreover, important information is given about the classification and type of genitourinary system injuries.