Ventral based dartos flap for the prevention of the urethrocutaneous fistula urethroplasty

Background:   Urethrocutaneous fistula is a common complication of urethroplasty for hypospadias even when a microsurgical technique is applied.
Methods:   From January 1999 to November 2006, we applied the ventral based dartos flap wrapping technique to prevent the occurrence of urethrocutaneous fistula in 34 patients with hypospadias.
Results:   Hypospadias was repaired without fistula formation in 31 patients while three patients developed a tiny fistula, which was later closed successfully by a simple procedure.
Conclusion:   We conclude that the ventral based dartos flap wrapping technique could be an alternative to the dorsal dartos flap for covering the neourethra with a vascularized flap because the procedure is very simple, and complications rarely occur.