Free peritoneal grafts for patch urethroplasty in male rabbits.

Abstract

We evaluated the feasibility of urethroplasty using a free peritoneal graft in a rabbit model. In 12 male rabbits a urethral defect was created by excising a 3 x 5 mm. portion of the ventral urethral surface. The defect was immediately repaired with a free peritoneal graft harvested via a left flank incision. There were 2 intraoperative deaths and 1 death on day 8 postoperatively. These animals were excluded from study. The remaining 1, 4 and 4 rabbits were sacrificed 3, 5 and 9 weeks after surgery, respectively. Macroscopic examination of the urethra revealed no stenosis or diverticula, while a fistula was present in 3 of the 9 animals. Histological study of the fistulous tracts showed chronic granulomatous inflammation. In the remaining 6 rabbits there was graft adherence. The inner surface of the graft was uniformly lined with normal urothelium, while in some cases acute inflammatory cells were present in the subepithelial layer. Our experience indicates that the ease of harvesting free peritoneal grafts and their satisfactory adherence to the urethra makes them a valid alternative for repairing urethral defects.