Purpose: To evaluate whether prolonged postoperative stenting may reduce the risk of obstruction of the neourethra after TIP repair with deep glanular incision.
Methods: In a 1-year period 27 patients were operated for penile hypospadias using the TIP technique described by Snodgrass. In contrast to a previous study with 8 - 10 days of postoperative catheter drainage, the indwelling transurethral catheter was kept in place for 12 - 14 days. Deep incision of the urethral plate up to the tip of the glans is the most remarkable surgical detail, resulting in a meatus on top of the glans but in a defect on the dorsal rim of the neomeatus as well. After 3 - 6 months 22 patients were re-investigated during an outpatient visit using a scheme to describe the position of the neomeatus. Uroflowmetry was also performed. Information in three toddlers was gained by phone and 2 patients were lost to follow-up.
Results: Two patients returned with significant obstruction including an urethrocutaneous fistula in one. In contrast to the good assessment by parents and compared to the early appearance after catheter removal a change in meatal position was observed in the majority of patients. Only 6 patients presented with an unchanged meatal position whereas in 16 patients the meatus lost its oval or slit-like shape as well as its position on the tip of the glans. However, despite one obstructive meatus in the coronal position 15 patients showed a sufficient size and position of the meatus underneath the tip of the glans. Uroflowmetry revealed reduced peak-flow values (mean: 8.1 ml/s) in some of the 9 patients evaluated.
Conclusions: Our data indicate that prolonged stenting does not give better results in those TIP repairs, in whom the urethral plate was incised across the rim of the neomeatus. The early excellent aspect of the glans after stent removal is often impaired by partial closure of the glans incision with a short-term change in size and position of the meatus. To prevent this, the rim of the meatus during reconstruction should be kept completely epithelialised.