Electrosurgery for routine pediatric penile procedures.

PURPOSE

Traditional teaching in urology has been to avoid electrosurgical devices in penile surgical procedures. In the last several years cutting current has been routinely used on the penis for making skin incisions, degloving, creating Byars flaps and destroying skin bridges. The purpose of this study was to determine the complications and final outcomes of electro-surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A 5-year retrospective chart review was done to determine the complications and final outcomes of exclusively using electrical current to perform pediatric penile procedures.

RESULTS

Electrosurgery was used to perform the entire surgical dissection in 346 patients, including circumcision in 124, repeat circumcision in 68, penoscrotal fusion/chordee repair in 127 and skin bridge procedures in 27. All patients had a satisfactory cosmetic result. After correction of penoscrotal fusion, separation at the scrotal suture line in 2 patients healed secondarily without sequelae. There was no hematoma, tissue necrosis or skin sloughing and all surgery was performed on an outpatient basis.

CONCLUSIONS

Electrosurgery can be used safely and effectively for routine penile procedures, providing a bloodless operative field and excellent cosmetic results.