Regular dilatation is unnecessary after tubularized incised-plate hypospadias repair

OBJECTIVE: To determine if patients who undergo tubularized incised-plate (TIP) urethroplasty need regular dilatation to prevent neourethral strictures or meatal stenosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The follow-up of two consecutive series of patients who underwent primary TIP hypospadias repair by one surgeon was reviewed. The first 72 patients (group 1) had periodic neourethral calibrations for 1 year after repair, while the next 62 patients (group 2) had no routine dilatation, except for six patients (10%) in whom the meatus appeared to be small. Urethroscopy was performed in both groups at the time of fistula repair, skin revisions or during anaesthesia for unrelated procedures. RESULTS: There was no evidence of scarring in group 1; one case of meatal stenosis and one neourethral stricture were detected in group 2. The difference in outcome was not statistically significant (P = 0.4). Overall, the incidence of meatal stenosis was low (0.7%) and comparable with most recent series in which postoperative calibration was not used routinely. CONCLUSION: Dilatation of the neourethra is unnecessary after TIP urethroplasty. Calibration or uroflowmetry 6 months after surgery may be useful to detect subclinical obstruction.