The role of delayed primary repair in the acute management of pelvic fracture injuries of the urethra.

The principal aim of management of the ruptured urethra should be to do everything possible to reduce the long-term complication rate and this applies principally to stricture formation. By far the most difficult complication to treat is severe distraction; thus the aim of early management should be to recognise and correct severe distraction injuries. Delayed primary repair at 7 to 10 days is recommended for this problem. The aim is not to prevent a stricture occurring but to make sure that if it does occur it is easily treatable.