Objective: To investigate whether the urinary diversion is helpful for healing of the neourethra.
Methods: Twenty-four cases that had received one-stage urethroplasty were divided into two groups and analyzed retrospectively. The urinary diversion was used in one group of 10 cases. In another group of 14 cases no urinary diversion was used.
Results: One case developed a fistula and wound infection in the urinary diversion group. In the no urinary diversion group, 2 out of 5 cases treated with the penile ventrolateral island skin flap urethroplasty developed wound infection and fistulas; excellent results were achieved in all 4 cases treated with the scrotal septal vascular pedicle skin flap urethroplasty; 2 cases developed fistulas and one case had wound infection in the 5 cases treated with the transverse preputial island flap urethroplasty.
Conclusion: The urinary diversion was not to be used in one-stage urethroplasty using scrotal septal vascular pedicle skin flap. When the neourethra was reconstructed by the penile ventrolateral island skin flap or the transverse preputial island flap, urinary diversion is helpful for spontaneous healing of small fistulas and useful in reducing the incidence of fistulas.