Evolution of male epispadias repair: 16-year experience

We review our experience during the last 16 years, adopting different surgical approaches for epispadias repair, and compare the results of complete penile disassembly technique with perineal muscular complex reassembly since 1995 with previous repairs.

From 1984 to 1999, 58 epispadias repairs were performed in 53 male patients 3 days to 13 years old, including 18 with primary penopubic epispadias, 35 with bladder exstrophy and 5 treated with secondary genito-urethroplasty after previous repairs of the exstrophic complex. Cases were divided into 2 periods of the surgical procedure. Different techniques succeeded in 41 patients in the first decade (group 1) while the complete penile disassembly with perineal muscular complex reassembly technique was used in 17 patients during the last 5-year period (group 2). Results of both groups were compared, and Fisher's exact test was used for statistical analysis.

Of the 41 group 1 cases complications (mostly fistula and/or urethral stenosis) in 21 (51%) required 1 or multiple operations. Continence was never achieved with urethroplasty alone. Cosmetic appearance of the phallus was not satisfactory in 23 cases (29%) and urethral catheterization was difficult in 8 (19%). Of the 17 group 2 cases only 2 complications (11%) occurred (1 fistula and 1 distal urethral stenosis). Dry intervals or voluntary continence was achieved in 6 of the 10 patients with exstrophy and in all but 1 with epispadias without bladder neck surgery. The penis had a satisfactory cosmetic appearance and no dorsal chordee with an easily catheterizable urethra was noted. The complication rate was significantly different in the 2 groups (Fisher's exact test p = 0.0042).

The complete penile disassembly with perineal muscular complex reassembly technique, with deeper positioning of the urethra in the perineal musculature, seems to guarantee a significant step forward in functional epispadias repair.