Between January 1985 and December 1990, a total of 40 patients aged 2-
40 years underwent surgical reconstruction for complicated failure of
hypospadias repair. These included 19 patients with multiple previous
operations, severely scarred skin, penile deviation, long urethral def
ects and scarred or cleft glans, who were classified as hypospadias cr
ipples (group I). The remaining 21 patients had distal urethral defect
s and a scarred or cleft glans but better skin condition; this group w
as classified as having defects of the distal urethra and glans (group
II). Island flaps were used in 17 patients, and transversal or axial
random penile skin flaps in 18. In 4 patients the urethra was reconstr
ucted with mesh graft and in 1 case, with a bladder mucosa graft. With
the designed single session procedure primary treatment was successfu
l and free of complications in 52 % of the patients in group I and 67
% in group II. In each of 3 patients three further operations were req
uired. In 15 patients revision surgery was confined to simple fistula
closure, stricture incision or correction of scarred skin. Follow-up e
xamination at 7-72 months showed that treatment had been successful in
all patients.