Modified Tubularized Incised Plate Urethroplasty Repair: Frenuloplasty and Long-Term Results in 155 Patients

Abstract

To describe a modification of tubularized incised plate (TIP) urethroplasty which we refer to as “frenuloplasty”. We retrospectively reviewed 155 children who underwent TIP urethroplasty between June 2008 and August 2011 in our institution. In our technique, the circumcision incision went on through the mucocutaneous junction obliquely in order to form frenular wings instead of linear circumscribing incision joined the urethral plate vertically. The little triangle-shaped skin flaps between the oblique mucocutaneous incisions and urethral plate incisions were excised. The glans wings and frenular wings were re-approximated without tension after uretroplasty. The mean age of the patients was 4.63 ± 3.82 years. The mean follow-up was 15.94 ± 5.46 months. Location of hypospadias was distal penile in 126 patients (81.3 %) and mid-shaft in 29 (18.7 %). The following complications occurred in 21 patients (13.5 %): urethrocutaneous fistula formation in 7 (4.5 %), meatal stenosis in 14 (9 %) and no dehiscence. We suppose that there is no incompletely formed prepuce but a ventral fusion defect in the midline. Frenuloplasty reduces the necessity of ventral preputial flaps and provides satisfactory cosmetic outcomes with the appearence of normal circumcised penis.