[Morbidity of foreskin reconstruction in distal hypospadias repair surgery].

UNLABELLED: Hypospadias is almost constantly associated with an abnormality of the prepuce, resulting in incomplete prepuce. In the context of distal hypospadias repair surgery, prepuce reconstruction is an alternative to circumcision. The authors report their experience of this operation and analyze its specific morbidity.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Single-center retrospective study of 316 prepuce reconstructions performed in the context of distal hypospadias surgery between 1996 and 2004. The median age at the time of surgery was 12.1 months. The prepuce reconstruction technique was based on the principles of Righini preputioplasty. Urethroplasty was performed according to the tubularized urethral plate (Duplay-Snodgrass) technique in the majority of children (204/316, 65%). No urethral catheter was left in place in 293 children (93%). The operation was performed as an outpatient procedure in 245 cases (78%).

RESULTS: Partial or complete disunion of the reconstructed prepuce was observed in 18 children (6%), mainly early in the authors' experience, and nine of these 18 cases occurred in a more general context of failure of hypospadias repair surgery (urethrocutaneous fistula). Secondary phimosis was observed in 40 cases, 12 months after the operation. Topical corticosteroids (betamethasone 1.0% cream) allowed normal foreskin retraction in 26 out of 30 cases (85%).

CONCLUSIONS: Prepuce reconstruction performed in the context of distal hypospadias repair surgery is responsible for a low rate of specific morbidity. If the objective of distal hypospadias surgery is to restore a penis with an appearance as normal as possible, prepuce reconstruction should constitute a key element of the final result.