Is frenuloplasty a risk factor for post-circumcision meatal stenosis?

INTRODUCTION

Meatal stenosis (MS) is a common complication of circumcision. In this study, we aimed to examine the role of frenuloplasty in the development of MS in school-age boys undergoing circumcision.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Medical data of 502 patients who were circumcised surgically in the hospital setting aged ≥6 years between July 2019 and July 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups based on the appearance of the frenular region. The patients whose integrity of the frenular region was protected during circumcision were classified as Group 1 (n = 262), and the patients whose frenulum was absent for some reason were classified as Group 2 (n = 240). Both groups were evaluated based on the development of complications following frenuloplasty after circumcision.

RESULTS

The median age was 11 (range: 6 to 17) years. The median circumcision age was seven (range: 6 to 12) years, and the median time since circumcision was four (range: 1 to 11) years. The main complaints of the patients were gastrointestinal (n = 254, 51%), respiratory (n = 148, 29%), and urinary system-related pathologies (n = 100, 20%). Meatal stenosis was the most common complication of circumcision with an overall incidence of 4%, which was significantly higher in Group 2 (7% vs. 2%, respectively; p = 0.006).

CONCLUSION

Our results suggested that MS is a common complication of circumcision. Performing frenuloplasty during circumcision might increase the risk of developing MS in school-age boys.