Bulbar Urethral Stricture Repair with Buccal Mucosa Graft Urethroplasty

Abstract

Objectives: Evaluation of the use of buccal mucosa graft as single–stage urethral reconstruction in an adult population with a stenosis of the bulbar urethra. Methods: In our Department between April 1996 and February 1999, 20 patients with bulbar urethra stenosis underwent single–stage urethroplasty using a buccal mucosa graft. Mean age of patients was 52 years (range 14–70). The etiology of urethral stricture was inflammation (4 cases), iatrogenic (5 cases) and idiopathic (11 cases). A ventral onlay patch (mean length 3.6 cm, range 2.5–5) was employed in all cases. Results: During the follow–up (median 13 months, range 6–28) the overall success rate was 80%. The success rate was 75% for inflammatory strictures, 80% for iatrogenic strictures and 81% for strictures of unknown etiology. Conclusions: Although longer follow–up is needed, free graft urethroplasty with buccal mucosa graft represents a simple surgical option which has produced encouraging results. This is probably due to the quality of the tissue employed which at present seems to represent the first–choice solution in selected cases.