Changing practice in anterior urethroplasty

OBJECTIVE: To describe our experience of penile urethral repair and reconstruction, cataloguing the change in practice from one-stage flap to two-stage free graft procedures for anterior urethroplasty. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 1992 and December 1996, 79 patients underwent anterior urethroplasty. Of the 45 one-stage bulbar patch urethroplasties, 37 (76%) used buccal mucosal free grafts rather than flaps. Of the 34 penile urethroplasties, 26 (82%) (including all of the circumferential reconstructions) were two-stage procedures. RESULTS: Buccal mucosal free grafts were at least as good as local skin flaps for patch urethroplasty and two-stage repairs gave much better results than one-stage repairs for total circumferential reconstruction of the penile urethra. CONCLUSIONS: For a patch urethroplasty of an uncomplicated stricture in the bulbar urethra, buccal mucosal free grafts are now the material of choice. For a patch urethroplasty of an uncomplicated stricture in the penile urethra the Orandi procedure remains the 'gold standard'. For a circumferential repair of the urethra, particularly the penile urethra, a two-stage repair using a free graft gives better results than a one-stage repair using a flap.     

The use of lingual mucosal graft in adult anterior urethroplasty: surgical steps and short-term outcome

OBJECTIVES: Investigate the tolerability, safety, and efficacy of using the lingual mucosal graft (LMG) for anterior urethroplasty. METHODS: Ten patients (average age, 41 yr) underwent substitution urethroplasty LMG. Harvesting the graft from the tongue was performed by either the oral surgeon or the urologist. In five patients with penile urethral strictures, the grafts were placed on the dorsal urethral surface as a "dorsal inlay." In five patients with bulbar urethral strictures, the grafts were used as a "dorsal inlay" (3 cases) or "ventral onlay" (2 cases). The average follow-up was 5 mo (range: 3-12 mo). RESULTS: Nine cases (90%) were successful and one (10%) was a failure. Three patients who underwent bulbar urethroplasty showed prior failed repair using buccal mucosal grafts harvested from a single cheek (1 case), from both cheeks (1 case), or from the lip (1 case). The length of the lingual grafts was 4-6cm (mean: 4.5cm) with a width of 2.5cm. No patient developed early or late postoperative complications on the harvest site related to the tongue surgery. No difference was observed in patients in whom the graft harvesting was performed by the oral surgeon compared to the patients in whom the procedure was performed by the urologist. CONCLUSIONS: The surgical technique for harvesting a graft from the tongue is simple and safe. The tongue may be the best alternative donor site to the lip when a thin graft is required for urethroplasty or when the cheek harvesting is not possible.     

Buccal mucosal urethroplasty: a versatile technique for all urethral segments

OBJECTIVE: To present our experience with buccal mucosa urethroplasty for substitution of all segments of the anterior urethra, as the buccal mucosal graft (BMG) has emerged as the tissue of choice for single-stage reconstruction of bulbar urethral strictures, but its use for reconstructing meatal, pendulous and pan-urethral strictures has not been widely reported. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 1998 and October 2003, 92 patients had a BMG substitution urethroplasty at our institution; 75 had a single-stage dorsal onlay BMG urethroplasty (bulbar 41, pendulous 16 and pan-urethral 18; six combined penile skin flap and BMG) and 17 (pendulous five, pan-urethral 10, bulbar two) a two-stage urethroplasty. Recurrence rates, complications and cosmetic outcomes were analysed retrospectively. RESULTS: Over a median (range) follow-up of 34 (8-72) months, 66 (88%) patients with a one-stage reconstruction (14/16 pendulous; 37/41, 90%, bulbar; 15/16 pan-urethral) remained stricture-free. The mean (range) time to recurrence was 9.4 (3-17) months. Of the nine recurrent strictures, six were managed by one-stage optical urethrotomy and three required a repeat urethroplasty. In patients who had a staged procedure, after a mean follow-up of 24.2 (9-56) months, one had complete graft loss, requiring re-grafting, five required stomal revision after stage 1, and only two (12%) developed a recurrent stricture after the two-stage urethroplasty. CONCLUSION: A one-stage dorsal onlay BMG urethroplasty provides excellent results for strictures involving any segment of the anterior urethra. The BMG appears to be the most versatile urethral substitute, as it can be successfully used for both one- and two-stage reconstruction of the entire anterior urethra.     

复杂性尿道下裂修复失败后的治疗

目的 探讨不同游离黏膜、带蒂皮瓣或二种组织拼接尿道成形术治疗复杂性尿道下裂修复失败后病例的效果.方法 采用3种游离黏膜或带蒂阴茎皮瓣尿道成形治疗尿道下裂修复失败后患者36例,其中带蒂阴茎皮瓣尿道成形7例,舌黏膜与阴茎皮瓣拼接重建尿道3例.结肠黏膜重建尿道2例,1条舌黏膜重建尿道9例,1条颊黏膜重建尿道7例,采用2条口腔内黏膜拼接重建尿道8例.阴茎用弹力绷带包扎4 d,每天用抗生素液冲洗尿道1次.结果 36例术后随访3～84个月,平均32.6个月.术后2～3周发牛尿瘘4例.术后2～3个月新尿道发生狭窄3例,其中吻合口狭窄1例.经尿道扩张5次后排尿通畅;尿道外口狭窄2例,经手术矫正后均排尿通畅,Q_(max)分别为37.3和28.7 ml/s.余者排尿通畅,尿线粗,Q_(max) 18.0～46.0 ml/s,平均26.8 ml/s.结论 舌黏膜与颊黏膜具有取材方便、创伤小的特点,较适合于尿道下裂修复失败后皮源少患者的尿道重建.     

口腔内黏膜尿道成形治疗前尿道狭窄10年经验总结

目的 探讨口腔内黏膜尿道成形治疗尿道狭窄的长期效果. 方法 2001年1月至2010年12月,应用口腔内黏膜(颊黏膜和舌黏膜)尿道成形治疗前尿道狭窄255例.尿道狭窄段长度3 ～18 cm,平均6 cm.尿道成形采用保留原尿道板的扩大尿道成形术或埋藏黏膜条背侧替代尿道成形术.对49例尿道狭窄段≥8 cm者采取双侧颊黏膜拼接、颊粘膜与舌黏膜拼接或双侧连续长条舌黏膜尿道成形. 结果 术后随访8 ～120个月,平均37个月.230例患者排尿通畅,尿线粗,最大尿流率为16～51 ml/s,平均26 ml/s.尿道造影显示重建段尿道管腔通畅.总成功率90.2％.25例患者于术后1年内发生并发症,其中尿道再次狭窄17例,尿道皮肤瘘8例.17例尿道再狭窄患者中15例再次行口腔内黏膜尿道成形,2例吻合口狭窄行尿道内切开,术后排尿通畅;8例尿道皮肤瘘均接受尿瘘修补术后治愈. 结论 口腔颊黏膜和舌黏膜均是良好的尿道替代物,舌黏膜取材较颊黏膜更为便利;口腔内多种黏膜的组合移植重建尿道是治疗长段前尿道狭窄( ≥8 cm)的有效方法.     

The tongue as an alternative donor site for graft urethroplasty: a pilot study

PURPOSE: Urethroplasty with a buccal mucosal graft provides excellent clinical results but it may also cause oral complications in some cases. The mucosa covering the lateral and under surface of the tongue is identical in structure with that lining the rest of the oral cavity. We evaluated LMGs for urethroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2001 to September 2004, 8 men 34 to 65 years old (mean age 46.1) with urethral strictures 1.5 to 4.5 cm long were selected for 1-stage dorsal onlay urethroplasty. The site of the harvest graft was the lateral mucosal lining of the tongue. Postoperatively all patients were followed with urethrography, uroflowmetry, cystourethrography and flexible urethroscopy after 3 and 12 months. Successful reconstruction criteria were peak flow rate greater than 15 ml per second and no need for postoperative urethral dilation. RESULTS: Median followup was 18 months (mean 22.1, range 3 to 47). Seven cases were successful. One patient had a partial urethral stricture. In successful cases cystourethrography revealed no significant graft contractures or sacculations and at flexible urethroscopy LMG was almost indistinguishable from native urethra. There were no pain, esthetic or functional complications at the donor site. CONCLUSIONS: Harvesting the LMG is feasible and easy to perform. Compared with the buccal mucosal graft the LMG seems to be associated with less postoperative pain and a minor risk of donor site complications. These preliminary functional and esthetic data are satisfactory.     

One-stage circumferential buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty for bulbous stricture repair

A one-stage onlay urethroplasty, using a buccal mucosa graft, is presented for patients with bulbous strictures in whom the urethral mucosa is seriously involved in the disease. Of 40 patients who underwent a dorsal buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty for bulbous urethral strictures, 5 required complete removal of the urethral mucosa and its replacement by a buccal mucosa graft. All these patients had undergone previous urethrotomy with a false passage inside the bulbous urethra and had a suprapubic tube in place. The goal of removal and replacement of the urethral mucosa in each case was to create a new, wide urethral mucosal bed to promote successful one-stage reconstruction. All patients voided spontaneously without problems after removal of the catheter. After 4 months, the mean peak flow was 21 mL/s. After 6 months, urethroscopy did not show any stricture recurrence. None of the patients required instrumentation or dilation. In patients with bulbous urethral strictures and false passage into the mucosa and spongiosum tissues, the complete removal and replacement of the urethral mucosa using a circumferential buccal mucosa graft promotes successful one-stage urethral reconstruction.     

Substitution urethroplasty using oral mucosa graft for male anterior urethral stricture disease: Current topics and reviews

Male anterior urethral stricture is scarring of the subepithelial tissue of the corpus spongiosum that constricts the urethral lumen, decreasing the urinary stream. Its surgical management is a challenging problem, and has changed dramatically in the past several decades. Open surgical repair using grafts or flaps, called substitution urethroplasty, has become the gold standard procedure for anterior urethral strictures that are not amenable to excision and primary anastomosis. Oral mucosa harvested from the inner cheek (buccal mucosa) is an ideal material, and is most commonly used for substitution urethroplasty, and lingual mucosa harvested from the underside of the tongue has recently emerged as an alternative material with equivalent outcome. Onlay augmentation of oral mucosa graft on the ventral side (ventral onlay) or dorsal side (dorsal onlay, Barbagli procedure) has been widely used for bulbar urethral stricture with comparable success rates. In bulbar urethral strictures containing obliterative or nearly obliterative segments, either a two‐sided dorsal plus ventral onlay (Palminteri technique) or a combination of excision and primary anastomosis and onlay augmentation (augmented anastomotic urethroplasty) are the procedures of choice. Most penile urethral strictures can be repaired in a one‐stage procedure either by dorsal inlay with ventral sagittal urethrotomy (Asopa technique) or dorsolateral onlay with one‐sided urethral dissection (Kulkarni technique); however, staged urethroplasty remains the procedure of choice for complex strictures, including strictures associated with genital lichen sclerosus or failed hypospadias. This article presents an overview of substitution urethroplasty using oral mucosa graft, and reviews current topics.     

Management of failed hypospadias: choosing the right method and achieving optimal results

Objective

Because of the complexity of the abnormalities and limited options for reconstruction of failed hypospadias, creating a neourethra presents a challenge to surgeons. We reviewed our experiences with staged urethroplasty strategies to repair the penis of failed hypospadias.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively reviewed 56 consecutives patients following multiple unsuccessful hypospadias repairs from 2010 to 2016. Patients were divided into the following two groups based on their penile conditions and urethroplasty procedures: staged buccal mucosa graft Bracka urethroplasty (group1) and two-stage urethroplasty with additional buccal mucosa graft augmentation of the dorsal urethral plate (group2).

Result

Median follow-ups were 26.5 months (12–59 months) and 28.6 months (14–59 months) in the group 1 and group 2. After the second stage, three patients (11.1%) in group 1 and two patients (6.89%) in group 2 did not have a meatal opening at the top of the glans. Three patients (11.1%) in group 1 and 4 patients (13.79%) in group 2 had urethrocutaneous fistulas. One patient (3.70%) in group 1 and no patients in group 2 had meatal stenosis. Two patients (6.89%) in group 2 and no patients in group 1 had urethral strictures; all patients with strictures were cured using dilations, so follow-up surgeries were not required. No patients in either group had signs of diverticulum or residual chordee. Three patients (11.1%) in group 1 and 4 patients (13.79%) in group 2 needed reoperations.

Conclusion

Failed hypospadias repairs were often due to the underestimation of the penile conditions at the prior surgery. The results indicated that two-staged strategies were preferred for treating complex situations during the intermediate period of our study. Staged buccal mucosa graft Bracka urethroplasty and two-stage urethroplasty with additional buccal mucosa graft augmentation of the dorsal urethral plate severed as reliable approaches in complex hypospadias cases and could improve the overall success rate.

     

Long-term followup of the ventrally placed buccal mucosa onlay graft in bulbar urethral reconstruction

PURPOSE: We investigate whether the short-term success rate (greater than 90%) of buccal mucosa free grafts in the bulbar urethra is sustained in the long term. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 60 patients a ventrally placed buccal mucosa graft was used for repair of bulbar urethral strictures. Of these patients 49 had undergone previous attempt at repair (urethroplasty in 4, internal urethrotomy in 45). Mean graft length was 4.8 cm. In 9 patients a distal penile fasciocutaneous flap was also used for repair of concomitant penile urethral stricture. In 8 of the 9 patients the buccal mucosa graft was combined with end-to-end urethroplasty and 2 buccal mucosa grafts were used in tandem in 1. Followup was at least 1 year in all cases (mean 47 months, range 12 to 107). Failure was defined as an obstructive voiding pattern with radiographic or cystoscopic evidence of recurrent stricture. RESULTS: Bulbar stricture repair was successful in 54 patients (90%) and 4 of the remaining 6 responded to 1 internal urethrotomy for a long-term success rate of 97%. Preoperative clinical characteristics were not significantly different between those who experienced success or failure. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term outcome analysis of ventrally placed buccal mucosa onlay grafts for bulbar urethral strictures demonstrates a durable success rate of 90%. This rate can be improved (97%) with the judicious use of internal urethrotomy.     

舌黏膜尿道成形治疗前尿道狭窄（附80例报告）

目的：研究舌黏膜尿道成形治疗尿道狭窄的有效性和安全性。方法：2006年8月～2008年12月采用舌黏膜尿道成形治疗80例前尿道狭窄,尿道狭窄段2．5～18cm,其中30例为长段尿道狭窄（9～18cm）采用双侧舌黏膜或舌黏膜与颊黏膜或与带蒂包皮拼接尿道成形治疗。尿道成形采用两种术式：保留原尿道板的扩大尿道腔37例;埋藏黏膜条43例。结果：术后随访4～30（平均16．8）个月,7例发生并发症,其中尿瘘4例,再次发生尿道狭窄3例,其余患者排尿通畅,最大尿流率从15．2～54．6（平均28．7）ml／s。结论：舌黏膜是一种修复前尿道狭窄较好的尿道替代物,双侧舌黏膜尿道成形能成功治疗长段、复杂性尿道狭窄。     

Bulbar urethroplasty using buccal mucosa grafts placed on the ventral, dorsal or lateral surface of the urethra: are results affected by the surgical technique?

PURPOSE: The use of buccal mucosa graft onlay urethroplasty represents the most widespread method of bulbar urethral stricture repair. The graft may be placed on the ventral or dorsal urethral surface according to surgeon experience and preference. We investigated whether the results are affected by the surgical technique by comparing the outcome of 3 types of bulbar urethroplasty using buccal mucosa graft. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We repaired 50 bulbar urethral strictures with buccal mucosa grafts from 1997 to 2002. Mean patient age was 42 years. The etiology of stricture was ischemia in 12 cases, trauma in 6, instrumentation in 4 and unknown in 28. Patients with lichen sclerosus, failed hypospadias or urethroplasty and stricture extending into the penile urethra were not included. A total of 47 patients (94%) had undergone previous urethrotomy or dilation. The buccal mucosa graft was always harvested from the cheek using a 2 team approach. Mean graft length was 4.2 cm. The graft was placed on the ventral, dorsal and lateral bulbar urethral surface in 17, 27 and 6 cases, respectively. Clinical outcome was considered a success or failure at the time that any postoperative procedure was needed, including dilation. Mean followup was 42 months (range 12 to 76). RESULTS: Of 50 cases 42 (84%) were successful and 8 (16%) failed. The 17 ventral grafts provided success in 14 cases (83%) and failure in 3 (17%). The 27 dorsal grafts provided success in 23 cases (85%) and failure in 4 (15%). The 6 lateral grafts provided success in 5 cases (83%) and failure in 1 (17%). No surgical complications were observed. Failures involved the anastomotic site (distal in 2 and proximal in 3) and the whole grafted area in 3 cases. They were treated with urethrotomy in 5 cases and 2-stage urethroplasty in 3. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience the placement of buccal mucosa grafts into the ventral, dorsal or lateral surface of the bulbar urethra showed the same success rates (83% to 85%) and the outcome was not affected by the surgical technique. Moreover, stricture recurrence was uniformly distributed in all patients.     

Die Verwendung von Mundschleimhaut in der Harnröhrenchirurgie

Buccal mucosa grafts have proven reliable in urethral surgery. For augmentation urethroplasty, the graft can be used as a ventral or dorsal onlay. If the graft was used as an onlay, the results were much better than in substitution urethroplasty with the graft used as a tube. In patients with complex strictures or severe cases of hypospadias or epispadias, a two-stage technique using a buccal mucosa inlay graft can be applied. After 6 months, the well-revascularized buccal mucosa strip can be tubularized and covered with a tunica dartos or tunica vaginalis flap.In the future, for correction of larger defects, buccal mucosa cells can be cultured in vitro on biodegradable matrices. These larger buccal mucosa transplants could minimize the morbidity at the donor site. Future studies must clarify if the new technology of nanofibers can be of advantage by producing better matrices.     

8 cm以上复杂性尿道狭窄的外科治疗

目的探讨长段尿道狭窄手术方法的选择与疗效。方法对76例尿道狭窄8cm以上的患者采用不同尿道成形术式治疗,其中不同黏膜重建尿道42例（结肠黏膜26例,膀胱黏膜6例,口腔黏膜10例）;带蒂皮瓣一期尿道成形20例;尿道狭窄段切开、二期尿道成形（Johanson术）12例;阴茎段尿道与前列腺部尿道吻合、三期尿道成形术2例。结果术后初期（6个月内）排尿通畅67例（88％）,有并发症者10例。术后1年以上70例,其中获得随访51例,排尿通畅44例,有并发症者8例,其中采用带蒂皮瓣者发生尿道狭窄2例（18％,2／11）;Johanson术者发生阴茎弯曲2例（2／5）,其中1例成形段尿道内毛发生成和结石形成;采用口腔黏膜者发生尿道狭窄1例（1／7）,膀胱黏膜者发生尿道狭窄1例（1／3）,结肠黏膜者发生后尿道狭窄2例（9％,2／23）。结论口腔与结肠黏膜尿道成形对长段尿道狭窄是较理想的术式;结肠黏膜较适合在常规手术治疗失败后或复杂性尿道狭窄10cm以上的治疗。     

Substitution urethroplasty of complex and long-segment urethral strictures: a rationale for procedure selection

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the applications and outcomes of substitution urethroplasty, using a variety of techniques, in 65 patients with complex, long-segment urethral strictures. METHODS: From January 1995 to December 2005, 65 patients with complex urethral strictures >8cm in length underwent substitution urethroplasty. Of the 65 patients, 43 underwent one-stage urethral reconstruction using mucosal grafts (28 colonic mucosal graft, 12 buccal mucosal graft, and 3 bladder mucosal graft), 17 patients underwent one-stage urethroplasty using pedicle flaps, and 5 patients underwent staged Johanson's urethroplasty. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time was 4.8 yr (range; 0.8-10 yr), with an overall success rate of 76.92% (50 of 65 cases). Complications developed in 15 patients (23.08%) and included recurrent stricture in 7 (10.77%), urethrocutaneous fistula in 3 (4.62%), coloabdominal fistula in 1 (1.54%), penile chordee in 2 (3.08%), and urethral pseudodiverticulum in 2 (3.08%). Recurrent strictures and urethral pseudodiverticulum were treated successfully with a subsequent procedure, including repeat urethroplasty in six cases and urethrotomy or dilation in three. Coloabdominal fistula was corrected only by dressing change; five patients await further reconstruction. CONCLUSIONS: Penile skin, colonic mucosal, and buccal mucosal grafts are excellent materials for substitution urethroplasty. Colonic mucosal graft urethroplasty is a feasible procedure for complicated urethral strictures involving the entire or multiple portions of the urethra and the technique may also be considered for urethral reconstruction in patients in whom other conventional procedures failed.     

Buccal mucosa urethroplasty for the treatment of bulbar urethral strictures

PURPOSE: We report the results of urethroplasty with a free graft of buccal mucosa as a dorsal onlay for the treatment of bulbar urethral strictures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Since June 1994, 30 patients with bulbar urethral strictures have been treated with buccal mucosa urethroplasty. Urethroplasty was performed with a free graft of buccal mucosa using a ventral onlay in the first 7 patients and a dorsal onlay in 23. Dorsal urethrotomy was performed with a Sachse urethrotome after the bulbar urethra was separated from the corpora. The buccal mucosa onlay was sutured to the urethra and corpora cavernosa to ensure a patent urethra. RESULTS: At 20-month followup (range 3 to 50) the success rate was 96% (29 of 30 patients). Urethral stricture recurred in only 1 of 7 patients in the ventral onlay and none of 23 in the dorsal onlay group. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary results of urethroplasty for bulbar urethral strictures with a dorsal onlay graft of buccal mucosa are excellent. Longer followup is needed to evaluate definitive results.     

Management of complex urethral stricture disease: Algorithm and experience from a single institute

ObjectiveThere are currently no practical guidelines regarding recurrent or complex urethral strictures in Taiwan. Furthermore a specific urological reconstruction center focusing on urethroplasties in this area is currently unavailable. In this study we aim to share the experience of our institute according to an algorithm for this disease entity.Materials and methodsFrom December 2007 to October 2013, adult males with complex urethral strictures were enrolled. Six different surgical techniques were used for treatment. Clinical features and outcomes were analyzed through a retrospective chart review.ResultsThe mean age was 39 years, with a mean follow-up period of 42 months (range, 5–76 months). An average of three sessions of previous treatments was noted. The overall primary success, requiring no further intervention, was 46%. Permanent failure occurred in one patient (2.6%). The primary success for urethroplasty in distal, penile, bulbar, posterior urethra, and in stricture with hypospadias was 100%, 40%, 83%, 29%, and 60%, respectively. From the perspective of procedure type, anterior anastomotic urethroplasty (80%) and skin-based flaps (75%) resulted in the highest success rate. Following anterior or posterior buccal mucosal graft-augmented urethroplasties, 40% of patients received additional short-term dilatations or urethrotomies.ConclusionComplex urethral strictures can be managed by a variety of surgical techniques according to specific stricture locations. However, a careful postoperative follow-up for recurrences is mandatory, since ∼40% of patients undergoing buccal mucosal graft-augmented urethroplasties were expected to have additional procedures after the index urethroplasty.     

Technique of Harvesting Buccal Mucosa for Urethral Reconstruction

Purpose

Buccal mucosa has been used increasingly by urologists for urethral substitution in complex hypospadias repair. We have found buccal mucosa to be useful in reconstruction of bulbar urethral strictures, and describe a simple and reliable technique for harvest.

Materials and Methods

In 11 patients with refractory bulbar urethral strictures a nontubularized onlay patch of buccal mucosa was used for urethral reconstruction. All procedures were done with a 2-team approach in which 1 team (usually an oral surgeon and urologist) harvested the graft from the mouth, while the perineal team simultaneously exposed and calibrated the stricture.

Results

The length of buccal mucosa used ranged from 3.5 to 17 cm. (average 6.4). All patients achieved excellent results. No oral complications were noted, even in patients in whom multiple buccal mucosal grafts were obtained.

Conclusions

With the technique reported, buccal mucosa is a reliable, easily obtained tissue for patch graft urethroplasty. Our 2-team approach decreased operative time considerably.     

Reconstructive Management with Buccal Urethroplasty

We present the historical evolution of the use of buccal mucosa in reconstructive surgery, from the first application in ophthalmology to paediatric surgery and, finally, urethral surgery. This process spanned 99 yr, from 1894 to 1993. The harvesting of buccal mucosa from the cheek requires careful preoperative patient evaluation and selection. To avoid postoperative complications related to the harvesting site, we provide some suggestions based on a large series of patients. The use of a one- or two-stage repair procedure in penile urethroplasty is discussed, and some step-by-step surgical techniques are suggested. The reconstruction of the bulbar urethra using buccal mucosa in traumatic and nontraumatic strictures is also discussed, and different techniques are presented. Finally, appraisal and discussion of some challenging topics (eg, evidence for efficacy, complications, implications, worldwide use) concerning the use of buccal mucosa for urethral stricture reconstruction are presented based on the current literature.Patient summaryWe looked at the history and evolution of the use of buccal mucosa for reconstructive urethral surgery and found that harvesting the buccal mucosa from the cheek is a safe procedure. The use of buccal urethroplasty represents the gold standard in the management of patients with anterior urethral strictures.