Combining Ventral Buccal Mucosal Graft Onlay and Dorsal Full Thickness Skin Graft Inlay Decreases Failure Rates in Long Bulbar Strictures (≥6 cm)

Abstract

To evaluate the efficacy of augmenting ventral onlay buccal urethroplasty using a using a double-sided graft technique by adding a second, full-thickness skin graft (FTSG) dorsally in long strictures≥4 cm, we hypothesized that a double-sided graft technique would improve surgical outcomes over buccal mucosal graft (BMG) ventral onlay urethroplasty alone. Retrospective chart review was performed comparing 15 patients who had undergone double-sided BMG+ FTSG urethroplasty for long strictures≥4 cm to a cohort group of 115 patients who had undergone BMG onlay urethroplasty for strictures of similar length. Comparisons of age, stricture lengths, time-to-failure, follow-up intervals, and failure rates were analyzed. Further analysis included age and stricture length matched control comparisons between BMG+ FTSG patients to BMG only patients. Mean patient age, stricture length, and time to stricture recurrence were 44 years, 5.1 cm, and 10months, respectively, in the BMG group. For the BMG+ FTSG group, mean age was 52 years, stricture length 5.9 cm, and time to recurrence was 9 months. Overall, the BMG group had a decreased failure rate; 17% compared to 21%. Further analysis showed BMG ventral onlay had decreased failure rates for strictures<6 cm; 16% compared to 33%. However, for strictures≥6cm, the BMG+ FTSG had a 0% failure rate compared to 24% in the BMG ventral onlay group (P= .005). Combined BMG and FTSG urethroplasty for very long bulbar urethral strictures≥6 cm improve success rates compared to using BMG urethroplasty alone.