The use of dermal graft in severe chordee hypospadias repair: experience from Vietnam

Purpose Severe chordee with hypospadias may require repair by ventral corporoplasty with a free graft before urethroplasty. We report an 11 year experience with one-stage and two-stage hypospadias repair using dermal grafts. Materials and methods From 12/1997 to 12/2008, 47 hypospadias with severe chordee were repaired using a ventral dermal graft to correct the chordee. Forty cases were repaired in two stages; the remaining seven patients had adequate preputial skin and were repaired in one stage. In 28 cases the neourethra was covered with both tunica vaginalis and penile dartos flap while 12 were covered only with penile dartos flap. Patients ranged from 12 to 152 months of age. Follow-up ranged from 6 months to 4 years. Results 28 patients with both tunica vaginalis and dartos flap had 7 urethral fistulas and 2 developed meatal stenosis. 12 patients with only penile dartos flap had 3 fistulas and 2 had meatal regression. The seven patients who underwent a one-stage repair had good results with a straight penis and no evidence of urethral fistula or urethral stenosis. Conclusions Dermal graft can be performed in one or two stage hypospadias repair. Complication rates are similar to other standard repairs for proximal hypospadias.