Blood glucose, HbA1c not linked to infection rates after penile prosthesis implantation

Blood glucose and haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels before penile prosthesis (PP) placement do not seem to influence the risk of postoperative infection, revision, or explantation among diabetic men, a recent study has found.

Researchers retrospectively reviewed 932 diabetic men scheduled for primary penile prosthesis implantation. The primary outcome was postoperative infection, while secondary outcomes were revisions and explantations. These were assessed in light of HbA1c and blood glucose levels measured within 6 hours before the surgery.

Overall, 3.8 percent of the participants experienced postoperative infections, while revisions and explantations were performed in 7.1 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively. Average preoperative blood glucose and HbA1c levels were 148.5±49.6 mg/dL and 7.5±1.5 percent, respectively.

Neither preoperative blood glucose (p=0.220) nor HbA1c (p=0.596) levels were significantly correlated with postoperative infection rates. Revision (p=0.332 and p=0.104, respectively) and explantation (p=0.806 and p=0.662, respectively) were also unrelated to the preoperative blood markers.

Multivariate logistic regression analysis further confirmed that postoperative blood glucose (B, 0.994, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.984–1.005) and HbA1c (B, 1.052, 95 percent CI, 0.766–1.443) had no significant interactions with postoperative infections.

The same was true for explantation (blood glucose: B, 0.999, 95 percent CI, 0.989–1.008; HbA1c: B, 1.083, 95 percent CI, 0.789–1.485) and revision (blood glucose: B, 0.991, 95 percent CI, 0.981–1.001; HbA1c: B, 1.179, 95 percent CI, 0.916–1.517).

“In the future, studies should look at different predictors of postoperative complications in diabetic men undergoing PP implantation,” the researchers said.