Two-stage transperineal management of posterior urethral strictures or bladder neck contractures associated with urinary incontinence after prostate surgery and endoscopic treatment failures

OBJECTIVES: The treatment of posterior urethral strictures or bladder neck contracture associated with severe urinary incontinence after prostate surgery and failure of endoscopic treatments is controversial. We report our experience with a transperineal approach in two steps: end-to-end urethroplasty/anastomosis and subsequent artificial urinary sphincter implantation. METHODS: Between September 2001 and January 2005, we observed six patients (58-68 yr old), with a combination of severe urinary incontinence and posterior urethral stricture with anastomotic bladder neck contracture after prostate surgery. In all cases, repeated endoscopic treatments of the strictures failed. The patients underwent transperineal end-to-end urethroplasty or anastomosis followed by transperineal artificial urinary sphincter placement after 6 mo. RESULTS: After the first surgical step, all patients were completely incontinent with absence of urethral strictures and complete anastomotic healing in all cases. Therefore, all patients underwent artificial urinary sphincter insertion. After a mean follow-up of 38 mo (range: 18-57 mo), five patients are continent with no postvoid residual urine and a perfectly functioning device. One artificial urinary sphincter was removed due to urethral erosion. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with posterior urethral strictures or bladder neck contractures associated with severe urinary incontinence, an artificial urinary sphincter implantation as a second step allows verification of the outcome of a previous end-to-end urethroplasty or anastomosis and utilizes a dedicated operative field to reduce the risks of prosthesis implants.     

Standing the test of time: the long-term results of urethroplasty

The principle indication for urethral surgery is stricture disease. There are a number of factors that influence the outcome of surgery including location of the stricture, stricture length, aetiology, previous surgery and selection of procedure. Outcomes for different techniques are summarised. The gold standard remains anastomotic urethroplasty, where appropriate, with patch urethroplasty or two-stage stage procedures for more complicated strictures especially the penile urethra.     

ERECTILE FUNCTION AFTER ANTERIOR URETHROPLASTY

PURPOSE: We ascertained the impact of anterior urethroplasty on male sexual function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A validated questionnaire was mailed to 200 men who underwent anterior urethroplasty to evaluate postoperative sexual function. Questions addressed the change in erect penile length and angle, patient satisfaction with erection, preoperative and postoperative coital frequency, and change in erection noted by the sexual partner. Results were stratified by the urethral reconstruction method, namely anastomosis, buccal mucosal graft, penile flap and all others, and compared with those in a similar group of men who underwent circumcision only. RESULTS: Of the 200 men who underwent urethroplasty 152 who were 17 to 83 years old (mean age 45.7) completed the questionnaire. Average followup was 36 months (range 3 to 149). Overall there was a similar incidence of sexual problems after urethroplasty and circumcision. Penile skin flap urethroplasty was associated with a slightly higher incidence of impaired sexual function than other procedures (p >0.05). Men with a longer stricture were most likely to report major changes in erectile function and penile length (p <0.05) but improvement was evident with time in 61.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Overall anterior urethral reconstruction appears no more likely to cause long-term postoperative sexual dysfunction than circumcision. Men with a long stricture may be at increased risk for transient erectile changes.     

Dorsal onlay graft urethroplasty for repair of bulbar urethral stricture

PURPOSE: We report the early outcome of dorsal full-thickness penile skin grafts in the repair of bulbar urethral stricture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During 27 months 29 men with a mean age of 43 years (range 10 to 81) underwent dorsal onlay graft urethroplasty. Followup included retrograde urethrogram at 3 weeks, 3 months and 12 to 18 months, and thereafter when needed. Urinary flow was recorded as subjectively reported by the patients. RESULTS: The technique was used only for bulbar urethral strictures. A total of 23 patients (79%) had undergone previous direct vision urethrotomy and/or open surgery. Dorsal onlay graft urethroplasty was used alone in 12 patients (41%), and was performed with partial stricture excision and ventral strip anastomosis in 13 (45%). In another 4 patients (14%) the procedure was combined with an Orandi flap because the stricture extended significantly into the penile urethra. Penile skin grafts were used in 27 patients (93%), whereas buccal mucosa was harvested in 2. Mean graft length was 6 cm. (range 3 to 9), and width ranged between 1.5 and 3 cm. Outcome was favorable in 28 patients (97%) for a median followup of 19 months (range 10 to 37). One patient had symptomatic proximal stricture recurrence and 3 had radiographic evidence of caliber decrease of the repair but with no impact on urinary flow. CONCLUSIONS: Dorsal onlay graft urethroplasty is a versatile procedure which may be combined with stricture excision and ventral strip anastomosis or an Orandi flap. Conceptually the technique offers the advantages of spread fixation of the graft on a fixed well vascularized surface, which may improve graft neovascularization, reduce graft shrinkage and avoid sacculation. Although the early outcome is promising, dorsal onlay graft urethroplasty has yet to stand the test of time.     

Controversies in urethral reconstruction

Urethral strictures are a frequent source of lower urinary tract symptoms in men. Open urethroplasty is regarded as the gold-standard treatment for urethral stricture disease. The treatment for urethral strictures is a continually evolving process and there is renewed controversy over the best approach to take in reconstructing the urethra, since the superiority of one approach over another has not yet been clearly defined. Anterior urethroplasty can be treated, with low morbidity, in an outpatient surgical setting, thus decreasing the impact of urethroplasty. In order to improve outcome in adult patients when the penile shaft is involved, reconstructive urethral surgeons have learned to apply the principles of delicate tissue handling, and the development of minimally invasive techniques. Genital or extra-genital skin has been used as a free graft or harvested as a flap for some time, thanks to its location, hairless skin and durability. Since the early 1990s, the use of oral mucosa was introduced in genital reconstructive surgery and has become popular for urethral reconstructions. Urethral reconstructive surgery is changing rapidly and this change has posed problems for surgeons who see the principles that previously defined their profession becoming obsolete or unworkable. New techniques and new engineered material are a part of our future.     

Anterior urethroplasty and effects on sexual life: which is the best technique?

Established beliefs concerning outcomes following anterior urethral reconstruction are changing, both with regards to the genital cosmetics and to the impact on sexual activity. Today, the aim of stricture repair is not only to reinstate urinary function but also to safeguard sexual activity and guarantee genital cosmesis. A thorough evaluation of anterior urethroplasty results should include the sexual viewpoint which appears to play an important role in overall post-operative patient satisfaction. The most commonly reported sexual problems following anterior urethroplasty include: erectile and ejaculatory dysfunction, penile curvature or shortening, dissatisfaction with genital cosmetic appearance, sensorial impairment of glans. The prevalence of specific post-operative sexual problems may be related to the site of reconstruction (penile or bulbar) and to the technique of urethroplasty employed. In penile urethral reconstruction, the wide use of buccal mucosa grafts seems to excel the use of skin flaps which easily distort the cosmesis and elasticity of the penis. In bulbar reconstructions, graft augmentation techniques seem to impact less on sexual outcome than excision anastomotic techniques. Therefore, the policy of primarily indicating an excision anastomotic procedure, whenever possible, should come under scrutiny. Eventual sexual outcomes should be incorporated in the choice of the optimal anterior urethral reconstruction and in pre-operative patient counselling.     

Urethroplasty for refractory anterior urethral stricture.

PURPOSE: We present our results managing anterior urethral strictures previously treated with urethroplasty and/or urethrotomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During a 32-month period 69 males 10 to 76 years old (mean age 36) underwent treatment for anterior urethral stricture, including 32 (46%) and 26 (38%) previously treated with urethroplasty and urethrotomy, respectively. In 11 patients (16%) no previous procedures had been done. Anastomotic and dorsal patch urethroplasty was performed for bulbar stricture in 13 and 14 cases, respectively, while in 4 a penile skin flap was placed for penile stricture and in 38 a 2-stage procedure was done with urethral substitution using buccal mucosa or post-auricular skin grafts. Patients were followed with ascending urethrography at 3 weeks, and 12 and 18 months as well as with uroflowmetry. Symptoms were assessed for 6 months to 4 years. RESULTS: Only 1 stricture recurred in patients treated with anastomotic or patch urethroplasty, or a skin flap. Of the patients scheduled for a 2-stage procedure stage 1 revision was required due to graft scarring or stenosis at the urethrostomy site in 21% and stage 2 revision was required in 23%. Other complications in this series included fistula in 3% of cases, wound infection in 3% and post-void dribbling in 12%. CONCLUSIONS: Overall early results are good in our urethroplasty series in patients with a previously instrumented urethra. Patients should be advised of the possible need for multiple revisions of planned staged procedures. The increased rate of revision in these staged procedures compared with the excellent outcome of 1-stage procedures appears to be inherent in this operation in patients with multiple previous procedures rather than due to surgeon experience.     

游离黏膜尿道成形治疗硬化性苔藓样病所致尿道狭窄的疗效观察

目的 提高对硬化性苔藓样病( lichen sclerosus,LS)导致尿道狭窄的认识,观察游离黏膜尿道成形治疗LS所致尿道狭窄的疗效. 方法 2007年1月-2010年12月收治LS所致前尿道狭窄患者36例,年龄27～75岁,平均41岁.尿道狭窄段长5.0 ～20.0 cm,平均11.5 cm.根据尿道狭窄段长短和严重程度选择不同的黏膜组织,其中行口腔内黏膜(舌、颊黏膜)尿道成形27例,结肠黏膜尿道成形8例,另1例老年患者行前尿道劈开.在行尿道重建术前对病变累及的阴茎头、尿道口、尿道行病理学检查. 结果 36例患者术后3周拔除导尿管,排尿通畅;活检结果提示上皮基底部特征性病变,过度角化,上皮层变薄,淋巴细胞浸润等.术后随访6 ～ 50个月,平均22个月.出现尿道外口狭窄3例(8.3％),其中口腔内黏膜尿道成形者2例,结肠黏膜重建尿道者1例,行尿道外口切开后排尿通畅.余患者术后排尿通畅,最大尿流率17.2～47.0 ml/s,平均23.4 ml/s. 结论 采用游离黏膜尿道成形治疗LS所致尿道狭窄疗效较好,但需密切随访,因病变迁延可致尿道再狭窄,尤其是尿道口再狭窄.     

Proximal bulbar urethroplasty via extended anastomotic approach--what are the limits?

PURPOSE: We report our initial experience with men who underwent EAU for strictures greater than 2.5 cm involving the proximal bulbar urethra. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of the more than 250 men who underwent urethral reconstruction at our institution during 1997 to 2005 a select consecutive group of 22 in whom proximal bulbar urethral strictures were treated with primary bulbomembranous anastomosis were evaluated. Outcomes in men with strictures greater than 2.5 cm long (EAU) were compared to those in men with shorter strictures in the same proximal bulbar location. Cases of post-traumatic urethral disruption related to pelvic fractures were omitted. American Urological Association symptom index scores and erectile function questionnaires were completed more than 6 months postoperatively. Results of a prior study using the same erectile function questionnaire after various types of urethroplasty and circumcision were then compared to those of our series. RESULTS: Patients with EAU had an average stricture length of 3.78 cm (range 2.6 to 5.0) and 10 of 11 procedures (91%) were successful. Anastomotic urethroplasty performed for similar proximal bulbar strictures less than 2.5 cm (mean 1.5, range 1.0 to 2.3) was successful in 10 of 11 cases (91%). Mean followup was 22.1 months and all followups were more than 1 year. Men treated with EAU had no increased rate of stricture recurrence or erectile complaints compared to men in whom shorter proximal bulbar strictures were repaired using an identical surgical technique. Similarly no increased rate of erectile problems was identified compared to other types of urethroplasty and circumcision using an identical questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: Urethral reconstructability is proportional to the length and elasticity of the distal urethral segment. Defects up to 5 cm may be successfully excised and primarily reconstructed in select young men with proximal bulbar strictures.     

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.     

尿道重建治疗男性尿道狭窄对勃起功能、性生活质量的影响

目的:探讨男性尿道狭窄手术对勃起功能以及性生活质量的影响因素。方法:回顾性分析326例行尿道重建手术男性患者的临床资料,并进行随访,分析年龄、尿道狭窄部位、长度、手术方式、手术次数、狭窄复发对术后勃起功能及性生活质量的影响。结果:共收集172例患者(52.8%)有效数据,平均随访时间28.5个月。手术后勃起功能(P=0.002)、性生活质量评分(P=0.026)较术前明显下降。术前56例(32.6%)患ED,术后88例患ED(51.2%),增加18.6%;术前勃起功能正常116例中有38例(32.8%)术后出现ED。结论:尿道狭窄部位、手术方式、术后尿道狭窄复发会降低尿道重建术后患者勃起功能、性生活质量。后尿道狭窄、采用经会阴途径尿道吻合患者术后ED发生率更大。勃起功能、性生活质量随着时间增长而逐渐改善。     

Muscle- and nerve-sparing bulbar urethroplasty: a new technique

BACKGROUND: To describe a new surgical technique for the repair of bulbar urethral strictures to preserve the bulbospongiosum muscle and its perineal innervation. OBJECTIVE: Surgical steps of muscle- and nerve-sparing bulbar urethroplasty are described. The outcome is provided regarding semen sequestration and postvoiding dribbling. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We performed the procedure in 12 patients (average age: 43.58 yr) with bulbar urethral strictures (average stricture length: 4.47cm). SURGICAL PROCEDURE: Six patients underwent urethroplasty using a ventral oral mucosal onlay graft, and six patients underwent urethroplasty using a dorsal oral mucosal onlay graft. In all patients, the surgical approach to the bulbar urethra was made avoiding dissection of the bulbospongiosum muscle from the corpus spongiosum and leaving the central tendon of the perineum intact. MEASUREMENTS: Clinical outcome was considered a failure when any postoperative instrumentation was needed. The primary outcome examined the technical feasibility of the muscle- and nerve-sparing bulbar urethroplasty. The secondary outcome examined the presence or absence of postoperative postvoid dribbling and semen sequestration using a nonvalidated questionnaire (Appendix). RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: In all patients, postoperative voiding cystourethrography was performed 3 wk after surgery and no urethral sacculation was evident. Urethrography were repeated after 6 mo and 12 mo. No postvoid dribbling or semen sequestration was demonstrated in all patients at 6 mo and 12 mo after surgery. No patient showed stricture recurrence. The average follow-up was 15.25 mo (range 12 mo to 26 mo, median 13.5 mo). CONCLUSIONS: Bulbar urethroplasty preserving the bulbospongiosum muscle, the central tendon of the perineum, and the perineal nerves is a safe, feasible, minimally invasive alternative to traditional bulbar urethroplasty.     

Turner-Warwick urethroplasty and urethral stricture Results in 60 patients

Sixty patients with urethral strictures at the bulbous and membranous levels were treated with Turner-Warwick urethroplasty. Initially, there were significant difficulties with restenosis of either the proximal or distal stoma following the first-stage urethroplasty. Use of nitrofurazonehydrocortisone (Furacin-Hc) urethral suppositories practically eliminated recurrent stomal stenosis after the first stage. Several additional modifications were made in the original technique; these included placement of urethral sutures prior to scrotal mobilization and abandonment of the suprapubic cystotomy for drainage at the second stage of the procedure. These modifications increased the chances of achieving a successful result while facilitating the actual surgery and improving the patients' comfort. The over-all success rate was approximately 90 per cent. Patients with urethral stricture surgery subsequent to prostatectomy had problems with urinary control, but not so if prostatectomy was done after the first stage of urethroplasty. It appears that the Turner-Warwick urethroplasty is a good one, and predictably good results can be expected on selected patients with urethral strictures.     

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.     

Augmented anastomotic urethroplasty

PURPOSE: During substitution urethroplasty, if the stricture contains a 1 to 2 cm region that is particularly narrow and/or fibrotic, that portion may be excised with subsequent anastomosis of the dorsal or ventral aspect of the urethra to shorten, widen and optimize the urethral wall onto which an onlay graft is to be placed. This procedure is termed augmented anastomotic urethroplasty. To determine the effectiveness of this approach we reviewed our experience with augmented anastomotic urethroplasty in an 8-year period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the records of patients who underwent augmented anastomotic urethroplasty between October 1997 and April 2005. Perioperative characteristics were compared between successes and failures using the Wilcoxon/Kruskal-Wallis and Fisher exact tests. RESULTS: Of 69 patients who underwent augmented anastomotic urethroplasty for recurrent urethral strictures 5 had undergone previous urethroplasty using a genital skin flap or graft. At a median followup of 34 months (range 13 to 103) 62 patients had no evidence of stricture recurrence and required no further intervention for an overall success rate of 90%. Stricture recurrence, defined as the inability to easily pass a standard flexible cystoscope through the area of repair, occurred in 7 patients (10%). Patients with stricture recurrence were significantly older (mean age 52 vs 39 years, p = 0.02) and more likely to experience postoperative urinary tract infection (28% vs 3.2%, p = 0.05) than patients without repeat stricture. CONCLUSIONS: Augmented anastomotic urethroplasty is an effective technique that allows the use of a shorter onlay graft. It may optimize overall results due to improvement in the urethral wall and the associated corpus spongiosum.     

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。     

Lingual mucosal graft urethroplasty for anterior urethral reconstruction

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the use of lingual mucosal graft (LMG) in anterior urethral strictures. METHODS: From January 2001 to December 2006, 29 men (mean age, 48.5 yr) with anterior urethral strictures underwent graft urethroplasty with LMG. The mean length of stricture was 3.6cm. Patients with bulbar, penile, or bulbopenile strictures received one-stage dorsal free graft urethroplasties. In patients with failed hypospadias repair we performed a two-stage urethroplasty. Criteria for successful reconstruction were spontaneous voiding with no postvoid residual urine and no postoperative instrumentation of any kind. Clinical assessment included the donor site morbidity. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 17.7 mo. One-stage bulbar and penile urethroplasties without meatal involvement had an 81.8-100% success rate. Bulbopenile urethroplasties were successful in 60% of the cases, whereas one-stage urethral reconstructions in patients with meatal involvement were successful in 66.6%. The two cases of two-stage urethral reconstruction with LMG and buccal mucosal graft after failed multiple hypospadias repairs were unsuccessful. The overall early recurrence rate was 20.7%. Patients with the graft harvested from the tongue reported only slight oral discomfort at the donor site and difficulty in talking for 1 or 2 d. CONCLUSIONS: The mucosa of the tongue, which is identical to the mucosa of the rest of the oral cavity, is a safe and effective graft material in the armamentarium for urethral reconstruction with potential minor risks of donor site complications. LMG may be used alone for short strictures (<5cm) or in combination with buccal mucosa when longer grafts are needed.     

Perineal anastomotic urethroplasty for managing post-traumatic urethral strictures in children: the long-term outcome

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the long‐term results of one‐stage perineal anastomotic urethroplasty for post‐traumatic paediatric urethral strictures.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirty‐five boys who had a perineal anastomotic urethroplasty for post‐traumatic bulbous or posterior urethral strictures between 1991 and 2003 were analysed retrospectively. Patients were followed up for a mean (range) of 46 (6–132) months by a history, urinary flow rate estimate, retrograde urethrography and voiding cysto‐urethrography.

RESULTS

The mean (range) age of the patients was 11.9 (6–18) years. The estimated radiographic stricture length before surgery was 2.6 (1–5) cm. The perineal anastomotic repair was successful in 31 of 35 (89%) patients. All treatment failures were at the anastomosis and were within the first year. Failed repairs were successfully managed endoscopically in two patients and by repeat perineal anastomotic repair in the remaining two, giving a final success rate of 100%. All boys are continent except two who had early stress incontinence, and that resolved with time. There was no chordee, penile shortening or urethral diverticula during the follow‐up.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall success of a one‐stage perineal anastomotic repair of post‐traumatic urethral strictures in boys is excellent, with minimal morbidity. Substitution urethroplasty or abdomino‐perineal repair should be reserved for the occasional patients with concomitant anterior urethral stricture disease or a complex posterior urethral stricture, respectively.

     

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.