Is tubularization of the mobilized urethral plate a better alternative to tubularization of an incised urethral plate for hypospadias repair?

INTRODUCTION

Trial of a new procedure of hypospadias repair based on the incorporation of the entire available innate urethral tissue for the formation of neo-urethra in patients with hypospadias.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifteen consecutive children, nine with distal hypospadias and six with proximal hypospadias (all with severe chordee), whose parents consented to application of a new procedure of hypospadias repair, were the study subjects. This procedure is inspired by Cantwell Ransley procedure for epispadias repair and Snodgras procedure for hypospadias repair. The entire urethral plate was mobilized (i.e., lifted off the corpora) distal to the urethral meatus and was tubularized in two layers; inner urethral skin and outer spongiosal tissue, in Duplay fashion. The repair was reinforced with dartos vascularized flap. The skin incisions on the urethral strip are guided by the disposition of the spongiosal tissue underlying the urethral plate (rather than the conventional U-shaped incision on either side of hypospadiac urethral meatus). In the patients with proximal hypospadias with severe chordee urethral advancement was combined to achieve orthoplasty and a single stage hypospadias repair. The catheter was removed on tenth postoperative day.

RESULTS

Even in patients with proximal hypospadias with severe chordee, good single staged repair was achieved without resorting to dorsal plication that would have been necessary had any other methods based on the preservation of urethral plate was performed in these subjects. Therefore, the procedure was found to have an extended applicability to even those patients where tubularized incised urethral plate urethroplsty is not advised. All patients had good results (in 1 year follow-up), except in three early subjects of the series; two of whom developed minor urethrocutaneous fistulae (probably due to frank urinary leak secondary to repeated catheter blockade) and one developed partial glanular wound dehiscence.

CONCLUSIONS

Though the authors have an initial limited experience with this procedure, the procedure is likely to have a promising future due to its versatility and utilization of the entire urethral tissue.