Lingual versus buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty for anterior urethral stricture: a prospective comparative analysis

To compare lingual and buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty for anterior urethral stricture with respect to intraoperative, postoperative parameters and urethroplasty outcome.

From January 2011 to December 2011, a total of 30 patients with anterior urethral stricture whereas group 2 underwent dorsal onlay buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty. Patients were evaluated for postoperative, tongue protrusion, oral opening, and difficulty in speech and swallowing pain score. Surgical outcome was evaluated with pre- and postoperative work-up involving retrograde urethrogram, uroflow and urethroscopy.

Mean age, stricture length and overall pain score were comparable in two groups. All the patients were mostly pain free by postoperative day 7. Group 1 patients had significant difficulty in speech and delayed return to normal diet as compared with group 2. The group 2 patients had a significant reduction in oral opening for the first week after surgery. In group 1, approximately 20% patients (with bilateral lingual grafts and stricture length >7 cm) complained of a change in speech character with restricted tongue movement in the long term, whereas there was no significant long-term morbidity in group 2. At mean follow up of 14.5 months, urethroplasty outcome was comparable in the two groups with one failure in group 1, and two failures in group 2.

Lingual mucosa graft urethroplasty provides outcomes equivalent to those of buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty. Postoperative morbidity and long-term change in speech make it a second choice for strictures >7 cm, only for cases where buccal mucosa graft is unavailable.