Hypospadias reoperations

To retrospectively evaluate the experience of a single surgeon (YS) with hypospadias reoperations.

105 hypospadias patients were reoperated by the same surgeon between 1994 - 2003. The patients were classified into three groups according to the surgical technique employed. Urethral plate tubularisation was performed in Group I. Repair with genital skin or mucosa was carried out in Group II and repair with extragenital tissues was performed in Group III.

Mean age at operation was 6.5 years (range: 1.5 - 23 yrs). Mean number of operations performed was 2 (1 - 7). Group I consisted of 33, Group II of 64, Group III of 8 cases. Reasons for reoperation were complete or partial neourethral loss in 71 cases; big and multiple fistulas in 29; neourethral or meatal stenosis in 11 children. One had diverticula. Two had partial corpus cavernosal loss. Residual or secondary fibrotic ventral flexion was detected in 31/105. Complication rates were 15%, 25% and 0% in Group I, II and III, respectively. Overall complication rate was 20% (21/105).

Severe complications can develop not only in proximal but also after distal hypospadias repairs. Local supportive tissues can be provided more easily in proximal reoperations. Repair with buccal mucosa had no complications in our series as it was only used in well selected cases. If urethral plate is present and wide enough, its tubularisation should lead to better results in reoperations. If it is absent or narrow, meatal based or onlay island flaps should be employed. Though the onlay island flap is known to be well vascularised theoretically, our results with meatal based flaps were better. We preferred using the tunica vaginalis when urethral plate was absent and penile skin was not appropriate. We suggest using the onlay technique for large penile defects of the shaft and not in the glanular area. But its use as local supportive tissue in reoperations can be very helpful.