Surgical outcome of urethroplasty using penile circular fasciocutaneous flap for anterior urethral stricture

Penile circular fasciocutaneous flap urethroplasty is a useful technique for a long anterior urethral stricture due to the flap's hairless nature and ample length. We investigated the surgical outcomes of urethroplasty for a complex anterior urethral stricture, performed using a penile circular fasciocutaneous flap. Between 2008 and 2013, we performed a retrospective review of 29 patients who underwent urethroplasty using a penile circular fasciocutaneous flap and had at least 6 months of follow-up. A total of 20 cases utilized only a fasciocutaneous flap, while 9 cases combined a fasciocutaneous flap with other surgery. Success was defined as no requirement of additional urethral instrumentation. The overall success rate was 68.9% (20 out of 29 cases) at a median follow-up of 19 months. Furthermore, fasciocutaneous flap urethroplasty rendered the actual stricture-free rate of 79.3%. The location of recurrence was mostly at the junction of the flap. Among 9 surgical failures, 5 cases were treated successfully by using an additional surgical procedure. Fistula repair was needed in 1 case 4 months later. Further, periodic urethral dilation was performed in the remaining 3 cases. The failure rate was significantly higher in patients with suprapubic cystostomy than in patients without suprapubic cystostomy. The most common complication was post-micturition dribbling. Penile circular fasciocutaneous flap urethroplasty is a useful method for the reconstruction of a long anterior urethral stricture. A sufficient healthy margin should be acquired for better surgical results due to the fact that most recurrence occurs at the junction of the flap.