Vaginal wall bipedicled flap and other techniques in complicated urethral diverticulum and urethrovaginal fistula

Repair of a urethral diverticulum in females may be a rather simple operation or it may represent an operative challenge, depending on the site of the lesion and previous treatment. Thirty women operated upon during a 15-year-period and with a variety of complicating factors, such as proximal location of diverticula or the presence of a urethrovaginal fistula, were reviewed. A new procedure using a transverse bipedicled vaginal flap to cover the urethral repair was used routinely.

The long-term results were evaluated by clinical, endoscopic, and urodynamic methods. A follow-up postal survey was obtained reporting the presence of urethral pain, incontinence, frequency of micturition, postoperative sexual complaints, and subsequent operations.

Repeated operations were rather common. The end result of operative repair was satisfactory in all but three patients, two of whom underwent multiple operations (four and seven times, respectively). These patients were left with residual symptoms of incontinence and recurrent urethral syndrome. However, the majority of patients who were operated upon repeatedly were cured. One patient who had impaired detrusor contractility had a relative urethral stricture.

The successful treatment of complicated diverticula and fistula requires some basic technical steps during repair. When recurrence develops, it is important to interpret carefully urethral pressure profiles, cystometry, and other functional tests.