Extended use of scrotal septal island skin flap for the repair of penile hypospadias.

Abstract

In this article, one-stage repair of complicated cases of penile hypospadias when there is no penile skin available for safe reconstruction is described. An island of the most median hairless part of the scrotal skin around the median raphe was used as a skin flap based on its scrotal septal pedicle with an extended and free arc of rotation for repair of distant urethral defects. The bilaterally stretched, most median area of scrotal skin is almost hairless. This well-vascularized flap was used in reconstruction of 18 patients with recurrent, complicated, proximal, and distal penile hypospadias from January 1989 through July 1993. Of these, 17 patients were post pubertal and 1 was prepubertal. A maximum of 5 years and a minimum of 8 months follow-up showed no hair growth problems. Complications were sacculation of the reconstructed urethra in 1 patient, meatal stenosis in 1 patient, and urethral fistula in 1 patient. Technique refinements and encouraging results as well as complications are discussed.