Outcome of substitutional urethroplasty by using dorsal onlay buccal mucosal graft: our experience of 10 years

Abstract

Background: The term urethral stricture is anterior urethral disease, or a scarring process involving the spongy erectile tissue of the corpus spongiosum.

Methods: Total 127 patients were included in the study. Patient selection criteria for urethroplasty by using buccal mucosal graft was length of stricture more than 2 cm, deep spongiofibrosis, failed optical urethrotomy for 3 times, adequate oral hygiene and proper buccal mucosa.

Results: Length of stricture varied from 3.2 to 14 cm. In first postoperative week, 20.47% (n=26) patients developed minor wound infection culture negative seroma formation in stitch line in the skin. Donor site complications like eating and drinking difficulty, dysguesia, pain, sensitivity, speaking disorders were not found in any patient while oral tightness was noted in 43.30% (n=55) of patients. On postoperative follow-up mean peak urinary flow rate (Q_max) was 28.0 ml/sec (range 20.0-30.6 ml/sec). After a mean follow-up of 8.8 months range (1 month to 33 months) overall success rate was 90.55% (n=115).

Conclusions: Buccal mucosa is an excellent graft material for substitution free graft urethroplasty in case of long anterior urethral stricture with excellent success rate. Success rate of dorsal onlay substitution free buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty is affected by length of stricture and aetiology of strictures. Lichen sclerosus having moderate success rate of urethroplasty and higher rate of complication and failure rate in 1-stage buccal mucosal urethroplasty and can be considered for two stage urethroplasty in case of very long stricture of anterior urethra of lichen sclerosus origin.