Resultant hypospadias after epispadias repair in bladder exstrophy patients: A difficult surgical task with high complication rate

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze the complication rate in male bladder exstrophy (BE) patients undergoing flap or graft urethroplasty for the repair of resultant hypospadias after epispadias repair. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 22 male BE patients who underwent 24 urethroplasties for resultant hypospadias between 2000 and 2009. Median patient age was 4.2 (range, 1.5-26.5) years, and median follow-up was 7.5 (range, 0.8-10.3) years. Meatal location after epispadias repair was midshaft in 6 cases and proximal shaft in 15. Complications were compared in relation to meatal position, type of urethroplasty (no graft vs graft), use of second-layer coverage of the urethroplasty, and use of suprapubic diversion. RESULTS: Overall, complications developed in 12 (50%) patients, including 10 urethrocutaneous fistulas and 2 urethroplasty dehiscence. Univariate analysis failed to show any differences between complicated and uncomplicated cases in all the variables. Only the 3 cases undergoing a 2-stage repair had fully successful outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Urethroplasty in patients with BE has a high complication rate. Quality of local tissue and presence of scarring are possibly the 2 major determinants of a poor outcome. A staged repair seems the safest, although this commits the patient to 2 procedures.