ONE-STEP TREATMENT OF PROXIMAL HYPOSPADIAS BY THE AUTOLOGOUS GRAFT OFCULTURED URETHRAL EPITHELIUM

Surgical management of severe proximal hypospadias or long strictures of the posterior urethra is a difficult clinical task. Often, the ther apeutic approach involves the autologous graft of free flaps of bladde r or oral mucosa. We recently reported the use of autologous graft of cultured squamous urethral epithelium during urethroplasty in patients with severe proximal hypospadias. The main limitation to the widespre ad use of cultured epithelium was the long hospitalization due to the requirement of 2 surgical steps. We now report a substantial modificat ion of the surgical procedure which allows for rapid 1-step urethropla sty. Cultured squamous urethral epithelium is tubularized in vitro wit h the aid of a tubular polytetrafluoroethylene (Gore-Tex) support and 1-step urethroplasty is performed within 30 minutes. Results obtained in 8 patients are presented.