Fibrosis in tubularized skin flaps in rats, using silicon catheters with two different degrees of flexibility: experimental model

Antonio Henrique Rodrigues Dos Passos,Sergio Augusto Catanzaro Guimarães,Fernando Costa,Wilson Aparecido Oreini,Lúcio Tedesco Marchese

doi:10.1590/s0102-86502008000300005

Antonio Henrique Rodrigues Dos Passos, Sergio Augusto Catanzaro Guimarães + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s0102-86502008000300005

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Abstract

Microscopically evaluate the intensity of fibrosis in tubularized skin flaps on the back of Wistar rats, using silicon molds with different degrees of flexibility. Twenty rats were submitted to three tubularized skin flaps on their backs. In two tubular flaps, we placed, as a mold, silicon catheters with different degrees of flexibility and removed them on the seventh day after the surgery. They were divided into two groups and euthanized, on the seventh and twenty-first days respectively after the surgery for the collection of the pieces, coloration with Masson tricromic, quantification of the area of each sample and comparison among the groups. Fibrosis was less intense on the tubular flaps where a catheter was not used as a mold. No significant difference was verified among the pieces with the silicon catheters, but there was a tendency of less fibrosis on the tubules with the most flexible catheter. There was no significant difference among the two catheter types. Fibrosis was less intense in the flaps where the mold was not used.

Highlights

The use of penile ventral skin for hypospadia repair has reappeared with the Snodgrass technique, which consists of a longitudinal incision on the urethral plate[1,2,3]
There was no significant difference between situations A and B
The same analyses occurred in Group II where the averages were 78.63% in situation A, 81.29% in situation B and 75.32% in the situation where the catheter was not used as a mold

Summary

Introduction

The use of penile ventral skin for hypospadia repair has reappeared with the Snodgrass technique, which consists of a longitudinal incision on the urethral plate[1,2,3]. From 1880 on, several techniques have been developed with the use of tubular skin flaps in the treatment of this malady.[7]. Complication rates in the postoperative period reach up to 10% and, among the most frequent, are the urethrocutaneous fistulas and the neo-urethra strictures. The latter, related to cicatrization and tissue fibrosis, require urethral dilations and even re-operations, which is very uncomfortable for the patient. The presence and the constitution of the catheters used as a mold have been related to complications.[3]

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