The Dartos Flap as an Adjunct in Preventing Urethrocutaneous Fistulas in Repeat Hypospadias Surgery

Purpose

Vascularized flaps for repeat hypospadias repair are often limited. We report our experience with the dartos flap in children undergoing secondary hypospadias and complex urethral repair.

Materials and Methods

The dartos flap is fibroadipose tissue between the scrotal skin and tunica vaginalis layers with its vascular pedicle based at the penoscrotal angle. The flap reaches the distal penile shaft without tension. Eight patients 1 to 17 years old (mean age 6) underwent urethral surgery and an interposed dartos flap procedure in 1994 to 1995.

Results

Of 6 patients cosmesis was excellent in 84 percent, erections were straight in 100 percent, and urinary streams were of good quality and without fistula in 100 percent after repeat hypospadias surgery. Following staged repair for anterior urethral valves a urethrocutaneous fistula developed in 1 patient and following urethral duplication repair results were excellent in 1. Mean followup was 1 year.

Conclusions

The dartos flap is easy to mobilize and it provides excellent coverage for repeat proximal hypospadias surgery, since the dartos remains undisturbed. We endorse its use for complex urethral surgery and believe that the extra layer of closure helps to prevent urethrocutaneous fistulas.     

组织瓣覆盖技术在尿道下裂手术及术后尿瘘修复中的应用

目的探讨组织瓣覆盖技术在尿道下裂手术及尿瘘修复手术的效果。方法1998年3月至2003年5月，73例尿道下裂手术及术后尿瘘修复手术中，采用5种组织瓣覆盖技术覆盖新尿道及尿瘘内口。尿道下裂组45例中采用带蒂背侧皮下组织瓣转移法27例，带蒂鞘膜瓣转移法3例，局部阴囊推进肉膜瓣法15例；尿瘘组28例中采用带蒂背侧皮下组织瓣转移法4例，局部X—V皮瓣法14例，局部U形组织瓣法10例。结果随访3～36个月，尿道下裂组45例术后3例出现尿瘘，尿瘘组28例均未再发尿瘘，成功率95．9％。结论尿道下裂手术及尿瘘修复手术中采用组织瓣多层覆盖技术，可提高手术成功率，降低术后尿瘘发生率。     

肉膜蒂阴茎阴囊联合皮瓣治疗重度或复杂性尿道下裂

目的：探讨重度或复杂性尿道下裂新尿道取材途径。方法：在单一皮瓣不够的情况下彩肉膜蒂阴茎阴囊联合皮瓣作新尿道。结果：47例中术后尿瘘2例。尿道狭窄1例。并发症发生率6.4%，结论：重度或复杂性尿道下裂可采用肉膜蒂阴茎阴囊联合皮瓣作新尿道。     

带蒂阴囊中隔皮瓣加盖睾丸鞘膜尿道成形术在失败尿道下裂手术中的应用

目的:评价带蒂阴囊中隔皮瓣加盖睾丸鞘膜尿道成形术在失败尿道下裂手术中的应用,了解其适应证、手术方法、术后并发症及远期效果。方法:回顾性分析2008年1月~2013年12月采用带蒂阴囊中隔皮瓣加盖睾丸鞘膜尿道成形术治疗的43例手术失败的尿道下裂病例及随访资料,描述手术适应证、手术方法,总结术后并发症及处理方法,评价远期效果。结果:平均手术时间110min。术后并发症发生率为14%(6/43),其中尿道皮肤瘘3例,尿道憩室1例,尿道口狭窄2例。术后1年随访,阴茎外观满意率为90.7%(39/43),通过随诊观察排尿评估尿道功能正常率为95.35%(41/43)。5例尿道镜检查无明显毛石形成。结论:带蒂阴囊中隔皮瓣加盖睾丸鞘膜尿道成形术是在失败尿道下裂修复术中有效的手术方式,手术方法相对简单,容易掌握,手术并发症较少,远期效果确切。     

Colgajo de túnica vaginal en la prevención de fístulas postoperatorias tras reparación de hipospadias severos: ¿ha terminado la búsqueda del Santo Grial?

IntroductionFistula following hypospadias repair remains a bane for the hypospadiologist resulting in the evolution of various techniques. Despite all these, the incidence of postoperative fistula varies between 10 to 30% and it increases with the severity of the hypospadias. Hence, a study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of tunica vaginalis flap in preventing fistula formation following severe hypospadias repair.Materials and methodsAn observational study was carried out in a tertiary center between 2008 and 2017. The study included children with severe hypospadias (proximal penile, penoscrotal, scrotal, and perineal). In all the patients, a tunica-vaginalis flap was used to buttress the urethroplasty. All the patients were followed up for at least a year after the completion of treatment.ResultsA total of 210 patients were included in the study. Bracka's 2-stage repair was performed in 180 patients who had either penoscrotal hypospadias or a meatus even more proximal. The rest 30 patients with proximal penile hypospadias underwent a single-stage Snodgrass repair. Four (2%) patients developed a fistula, all following 2-stage repairs, and half of them required surgical repair. Two (1%) patients had a partial breakdown of repair and underwent a residual repair after 6 months.ConclusionThe tunica-vaginalis flap is an excellent buttress in severe hypospadias repair. It is readily available, easy to harvest, with its good vascularity helps to significantly reduce the incidence of postoperative fistula.     

Comparative study of dartos fascia and tunica vaginalis pedicle wrap for the tubularized incised plate in primary hypospadias repair

OBJECTIVES: To report a prospective comparative study on using dartos fascia, i.e. subcutaneous tissue of penile skin and tunica vaginalis pedicled wrap (TVPW) from the parietal layer of the tunica vaginalis of the testis, for a one-stage tubularized incised-plate (TIP) repair for hypospadias. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-nine patients (mean age 4.6 years, range 1-22) with hypospadias of different types (varying from coronal to penoscrotal) were repaired in one of three hospitals over 3 years. All patients were repaired using the TIP technique, with dartos fascia wrap used in 20 and TVPW in 29, without using a loupe or microscope during surgery. Urinary diversion and splinting were provided by a urethral catheter. The operative duration for both groups was similar at approximately 2 h. RESULTS: In the dartos fascia group there were three (15%) fistulae, but there were none in the TVPW group. CONCLUSIONS: Although the dissection for TVPW seems to be cumbersome theoretically, it is not difficult. The combination of TIP and TVPW in primary repair may be a good alternative to other techniques.     

Split onlay skin flap for the salvage hypospadias repair

PURPOSE: Following failed hypospadias repair absence of the penile foreskin, a shortage of ventral skin and residual chordee may all contribute to poor long-term results. We describe a technique called the split onlay skin (SOS) flap that has improved our surgical outcomes in boys requiring salvage hypospadias repair. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The SOS flap uses a transverse island of penile shaft skin that is mobilized on its vascular pedicle and rotated into position to the ventrum of the penis at the site of the urethral defect. The flap is transected transversely, and half of the flap is used as an onlay to repair the urethra and the other half is used for additional skin coverage where needed on the penile shaft. We treated 11 boys 30 to 124 months old (mean age 60.3 months) who had a mean of 2 previous failed hypospadias repairs. All 11 boys presented with complex combinations of urethrocutaneous fistulas, stricture or urethral diverticula. RESULTS: Of the 11 patients 6 (54.5%) had development of postoperative fistulas. Five of these fistulas were surgically closed with no further complications. One penoscrotal fistula closed spontaneously after 7 months. Mild chordee from contraction of the flap and a urethral diverticulum developed in 1 boy. At a mean followup of 24.5 months all patients, including those who underwent closure of the secondary fistula, were voiding well with excellent appearance. CONCLUSIONS: In cases where little local tissue is present the SOS flap procedure is an excellent way to transfer healthy dorsal tissue to the ventrum for an onlay salvage urethroplasty while providing additional coverage of the urethral defect and a tension-free skin closure. Despite the high fistula rate we encountered following the initial SOS procedure, we endorse this technique because the transferred dartos provides additional tissue, which facilitates subsequent fistula repair. These boys can achieve a successful cosmetic result without incorporation of scrotal tissue or a free graft, which we believe leads to more predictable results.     

应用阴囊筋膜血管网皮瓣的尿道再修复

目的：探讨阴囊筋膜血管网皮瓣在尿道下裂再修复中的应用。方法：阴囊皮肤存在多源性血供系统，4组血管终末支相互吻合，形成完整的动脉环路在肉膜内走行，通过筋膜层滋养皮肤。基于此项解剖学基础，术中设计不含知名动脉的阴囊筋膜血管网皮瓣，用于修复原已采用阴囊纵隔皮瓣或其他轴型皮瓣进行尿道下裂矫治而失败的病例。结果：本组20例患者，阴茎型5例，阴茎阴囊型8例，阴囊型7例。除1例出现尿瘘，经处理后痊愈，19例尿道重建成功，效果满意。结论：应用阴囊筋膜血管网皮瓣重建尿道是尿道下裂再修复较为理想的方法。     

Dartos flap interposition in the surgical repair of rectourethral fistulas

BACKGROUND: Multilayer closures are important techniques in urethral fistula repair. We report our experience with dartos flap interposition in the repair of rectourethral fistula. METHODS/RESULTS: A tip of a V-shaped scrotal skin flap is mobilized and de-epithelialized to develop a dartos flap. Two patients with a rectourethral fistula underwent fistula closure covered with this dartos flap. The surgical repair was successful in both cases and neither patient showed any late complication. CONCLUSIONS: A scrotal dartos flap is well vascularized and easy to mobilize. We believe this technique is helpful in preventing postoperative complications following complex posterior urethral surgery.     

Management of urethrocutaneous fistula after hypospadias repair: 10 years' experience.

OBJECTIVES: To report the outcome of managing urethrocutaneous fistula after hypospadias repair over 10 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-seven patients (mean age 7.6 years, range 2-18) underwent repair of 57 urethrocutaneous fistulae after hypospadias surgery. The fistula was single in 37 patients and multiple in 10; 42 fistulae were small (< 4 mm) and 15 large (> 4 mm). Twenty-one fistulae were at the corona, 15 at the anterior shaft, 16 at the mid-shaft and five were penoscrotal. The interval between primary hypospadias repair and the first attempt at fistula repair was 6-12 months. Small fistulae were repaired using a multilayer simple closure technique, and large fistulae repaired using rotational and advancement skin flaps. Suprapubic urinary diversion was used in all patients with large fistulae or small multiple fistulae (25 patients); an overnight urethral catheter was used in the remaining patients. RESULTS: Simple closure was successful in 30 of 42 small fistulae (71%); eight were successfully closed by secondary closure, while four needed a third closure. Rotational and advancement skin flaps were successful in 13 of 15 large fistulae; one required secondary flap repair and one was closed simply. Most recurrences (78%) were of coronal fistulae; there was recurrence in four of 25 (16%) patients in whom suprapubic diversion was used, in contrast to 10 of 22 (45%) with no suprapubic diversion. CONCLUSIONS: Although simple closure of a fistula is easy and not time-consuming it is followed by a significantly higher rate of recurrence than when skin flaps are used. Rotational and advancement flaps are the optimal methods for repairing fistulae after hypospadias, particularly for large and coronal fistulae. Thus, the appropriate indication for simple closure is small fistulae at the penile shaft. Suprapubic diversion is important in those with large or multiple fistulae.     

Snodgrass hypospadias repair with ventral based dartos flap in combination with mucosal collars

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we report our results of Snodgrass hypospadias repair in conjunction with use of ventral based vascularized dartos flaps. In all repairs, mucosal collars were created and incorporated into the repair to create a more normal appearing circumcised penis, as described by Firlit. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Records of 60 patients with distal or mid-penil hypospadias who underwent standard Snodgrass repair were evaluated. During circumscribing incision mucosal collars were preserved and used to create a normal appearing circumcision line. A ventral based vascular dartos tissue was preserved as a flap and used as a second layer to cover the entire neourethra before glans closure. RESULTS: All repairs were completed in 1 stage. Mean follow-up was 10.5 months (3-37 months). There were 5 (8.3%) cases of fistula and 6 (10%) cases of meatal stenosis. All patients with fistula formation had meatal stenosis. All patients, except for patients with fistula and/or metal stenosis, were voiding a straight stream and have a slit like meatus with cosmetically normal looking circumcised penis. CONCLUSION: Ventral based flaps are easier to harvest and transpose to cover the neourethra. Combining repairs with mucosal collars enhances the cosmetic results and makes the ventral flap harvesting process easier.     

尿道口周蒂阴囊纵隔皮瓣一期修复尿道下裂

目的 探讨应用异位尿道口周肉膜蒂阴囊纵隔皮瓣一期修复尿道下裂的可行性。方法 1998年以来应用上述方法一期修复尿道下裂31例。结果 28例痊愈，2例无尿瘘，1例尿道狭窄，阴茎阴囊角正常，阴茎伸展自如。结论 该皮瓣血运良好，用于一期治疗尿道下裂疗效确切，阴茎、阴囊间无相互牵扯，操作比较简单，值得推广应用。     

“Limited” double dorsal dartos flap coverage. An effective alternative to conventional flap coverage of the neourethra following Mathieu repair for subcoronal hypospadias

OBJECTIVES: Double dorsal dartos flap coverage of the neourethra has been reported to be superior to single flap coverage for the prevention of urethrocutaneous fistula following hypospadias surgery. Conventional flap coverage involves covering the entire neourethra with vascularised flap. We describe a "limited" double dorsal dartos flap coverage of the neourethra following Mathieu repair for subcoronal hypospadias. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a prospective study conducted between Feb 2003 and Feb 2007, 31 patients with primary subcoronal hypospadias who had a flat and narrow urethral plate with a healthy urethral meatus and minimal or no chordee underwent Mathieu hypospadias repair. A "limited" double dorsal dartos flap coverage of the neourethra was done in all patients. This involved covering only that portion of the neourethra which remained exposed after glans closure, i.e. the proximal neourethra. Primary surgical outcome assessed was the development of urethrocutaneous fistula following surgery. RESULTS: The mean age at the time of repair was seven years and mean follow up was eight months. There was no flap loss, urethrocutaneous fistula formation, or glanular dehiscence in any of the 31 patients. One patient developed meatal stenosis which was managed by dilatation. One patient developed superficial sloughing of the penile skin. Overall complication rate was 6.45%. CONCLUSION: "Limited" double dorsal dartos flap coverage of the neourethra seems to be an effective method to reduce the fistulous complication rate following Mathieu repair for subcoronal hypospadias. A larger comparative study needs to be done to evaluate conventional neourethral coverage with "limited" neourethral coverage.     

肉膜蒂阴囊皮瓣修复阴茎皮肤完全撕脱伤

目的 探讨阴茎皮肤完全撕脱伤的修复方法。方法 采用肉膜蒂阴囊皮瓣或游离大腿皮瓣修复阴茎创面。急性创伤急诊一期修复，已感染伤口控制感染后二期修复。结果 8例术后勃起无限制，1例采用大腿中厚皮瓣修复阴茎皮肤敏感性下降。结论 肉膜蒂阴囊皮瓣血运及末梢神经丰富，弹性好，在阴囊皮肤没有破坏的情况下，应作为修复阴茎创面的首选.     

Treatment of severe scrotal hypospadias with onlay-type urethroplasty using mouth mucosa

Failure in repairing severe hypospadias complicated with fistula and cutaneous retraction is often associated with lack of subcutaneous tissue and skin providing protection to the neourethra. We report the results of treatment in 6 patients with scrotal hypospadias with severe deviation and scarce dorsal prepuce. A neourethra was created by the onlay technique applying an oral mucosa graft and preserving in all cases the dorsal preputial skin for the island cutaneous flap. All patients had hypospadias without previous repairs excepting one of them, who had had one first time hypospadias repair in other hospital. Patients age ranged between 2 years and 3 months, and 4 years (mean: 2 years and 9 months). In all cases, hypospadias was scrotal type with severe deviation and scarce dorsal prepuce. All patients had prior hormone stimulation with dehydrotestosterone 3%. Surgical repair was performed in one-stage. Urethroplasty included preservation of the urethral plate, oral mucosa graft to provide ventral coverage, and island cutaneous flap with the dorsal preputial skin. In all cases, the chord was dissected behind the urethral plate. In 3 patients a dorsal Nesbit plication was necessary to obtain a complete straighten penis. Results in all 6 cases were satisfactory. Only one patient had a small leakage at the previous neomeatus. The other five patients are asymptomatic. Follow-up ranges from 6 months to 2 years. We conclude that urethroplasty in association with a well vascularized island flap of dorsal preputial skin decrease the incidence of fistulae. In patients with severe hypospadias with scarce dorsal prepuce urethroplasty should be completed with oral mucosa grafts preserving dorsal preputial skin for the ventral cutaneous plasty.     

Use of bladder mucosal graft for urethral reconstruction

BACKGROUND: The ideal tissue for complex urethral reconstruction has yet to be determined, especially in patients with deficient preputium. The use of bladder mucosa as a free graft could be an alternative in these problem cases. METHODS: Bladder mucosa graft urethroplasty was performed on 14 patients with penoscrotal or scrotal hypospadias. The mean age of the patients was 18.7 (range 14-23) years. Ten cases were subjected to primary urethral reconstruction while four cases had previous hypospadias repair. RESULTS: Complete urethral replacement by the bladder mucosa tube was performed in six patients. Meatal problems occurred in two (33.33%) patients and proximal fistula formed in one (16.67%) patient. A bladder mucosa graft was combined with preputial or tunica vaginalis grafts distally in eight cases, and one patient in the tunica vaginalis group developed fistula at the anastomosis of the bladder mucosa and tunica vaginalis grafts. The overall complication rate was 28.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Our initial results showed that bladder mucosa grafts can be used successfully for urethral reconstruction especially when combined with preputial or tunica vaginalis grafts distally.     

睾丸鞘膜瓣在尿道修复中的应用

目的探讨睾丸鞘膜瓣覆盖技术在尿道畸形和尿道瘘修复中的效果。方法2002年起对38例尿道下裂手术和术后尿道瘘,采用睾丸鞘膜下组织蒂鞘膜瓣覆盖修复。结果术后随访半年至1年,除1例尿道上裂术后瘘修复后再次发生尿道瘘外,其余均获成功,未再出现尿道瘘或尿道狭窄,阴茎外观满意,勃起正常。结论采用该方法可有效防止尿瘘再发生,提高手术成功率且易于获取,对睾丸无不良影响。     

Tube-onlay-tube tunica vaginalis flap for proximal primary and reoperative adult hypospadias

PURPOSE: We describe the surgical technique of and report the results in the first 20 patients who underwent combined onlay-tube construction of a tunica vaginalis flap. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We repaired 20 cases of proximal primary (8) and repeat (12), adult hypospadias using a tube-onlay in 4, an onlay-tube in 3, a tube-onlay-tube in 9 and an onlay-tube-onlay in 4. In 15 patients contralateral tunica vaginalis was used as a blanket wrap. Three to 6 months postoperatively after obtaining informed consent retrograde urethrography, cystourethroscopy, uroflowmetry and urethral biopsy were done in 20, 17, 10 and 13 patients, respectively. RESULTS: No fistula or diverticulum developed. Complications occurred in 3 patients (15%), including urethral stricture, meatal stenosis and urethral stricture, and meatal regression and urethral stricture in 1 each. All strictures occurred in the distal urethra in reoperative cases. At long-term followup there was no recurrent stricture or meatal stenosis after internal urethrotomy and dilation. Urethral biopsy in all 13 patients showed a stratified epithelium indistinguishable from native urethra. The reasons for delayed presentation include perceiving hypospadias as a normal variation (paribor or cut by angels), losing hope for a cure after multiple failed repairs, being told by urologists that repair is futile and pressure by wives for cosmetic or fertility reasons. CONCLUSIONS: The place of tunica vaginalis in hypospadias surgery is more than coverage for urethroplasty. It can be successfully used for substitution urethroplasty. As an extension to the principles of the onlay flap and the concept of urethral plate preservation, combined onlay-tube constructions of tunica vaginalis, including a tube-onlay-tube flap, are successfully applicable to proximal hypospadias, especially in reoperative cases. Urothelialization of the tunica vaginalis occurs within months of surgery.     

Split-Thickness Skin Graft Urethroplasty and Tunica Vaginalis Flaps for Failed Hypospadias Repairs

Purpose

Via a 2-stage procedure, 10 patients with failed hypospadias repairs were treated by a varied combination of split-thickness mesh graft urethroplasty and tunica vaginalis flap.

Materials and Methods

A bed for the mesh graft in 3 patients was provided by a tunica vaginalis flap. Tunica vaginalis flaps were also used as an intermediate layer during stage 2 of the repair.

Results

No strictures or fistulas occurred in 8 patients. Two patients await stage 2 repair after successful stage 1 placement of the mesh graft.

Conclusions

The combination of split-thickness mesh graft urethroplasty and a tunica vaginalis flap appears to achieve success in the difficult patient with complex hypospadias subsequent to multiple failed repairs.     

Urethrocutaneous fistula repair after hypospadias surgery

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the success rates of simple and layered repairs of urethrocutaneous fistulae after hypospadias repair. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The charts of 72 children who developed fistulae after hypospadias repair were reviewed; 39 had a simple closure of the fistula, whereas 32 had a 'pants over vest' repair, in all cases after excluding an impairment of urine outflow. RESULTS: The success rate at the first attempt was 74% for simple closure and 94% for the layered repair; at the second attempt it was 80% and 100%, the difference being statistically significant for both repairs. CONCLUSIONS: Although probably far from an optimal technique for repairing urethrocutaneous fistulae, the pants-over-vest repair allows a good success rate for penile shaft fistulae.