Urethral advancement, glanduloplasty and preputioplasty in distal hypospadias.

One hundred and thirty boys with subcoronal (78) and subglandular (52) hypospadias were submitted to Urethral Advancement, Glanduloplasty and Preputioplasty (URAGP). The main steps of the operation were the following: blunt dissection and mobilization of the urethra as extensively as needed to reach the tip of the glans without tension; embedding of the urethra into a groove of the glans created by excision of tissue between two incisions converging from each side of the primary meatal location up to the tip of the glans; fixation of the meatus up to the tip of the glans and suturing of the glandular flaps over the mobilized urethra; shaping the foreskin to normal appearance. Reconstruction was uncomplicated in 117 patients (90%). Postoperative fistulae and urethral retraction to an abnormal position occurred in 7 and 6 cases respectively. All meatal retractions and 2 fistulae next to the meatus were dealt with successfully using the Mathieu procedure. On the basis of this experience we conclude that the technique is applicable to any type of distal hypospadias regardless of the severity of glandular ventriflexion, it is amenable to the Mathieu procedure in case of failure and gives good functional and cosmetic results.