Patch urethroplasty using a fascia lata autograft in male rabbits.

INTRODUCTION

Urethral reconstruction is difficult when the genital skin is not available for surgery. We evaluate the feasibility of using the autologous fascia lata as a graft for urethral repair.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

10 male rabbits underwent urethroplasty after creation of a ventral urethral defect. The defect was repaired using a graft harvested from the fascia lata. The animals were divided into three groups and sacrificed at 2, 4 and 12 weeks postoperatively. Radiologic control was performed after 10-12 days and before sacrifice.

RESULTS

In the 10 rabbits subjected to surgery, no case of death or wound infection was observed. During urethrography, a fistula was observed in 2 animals. In the remainder (n = 8), histological analysis showed the preservation of the original laminar structure without graft shrinkage or fibrosis. On the luminal side of the patch, a new line of urothelium appeared in the 2nd week after surgery. After 3 months, the new epithelium was multilayered and the graft edges were not detectable. No voiding dysfunction was detectable in 8 rabbits.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests the feasibility of using the autologous fascia lata for urethral patch repair.