Hypospadias repair at a tertiary care center: long-term followup is mandatory to determine the real complication rate

J Urol. 2013 Jun;189(6):2276-81. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2012.12.100. Epub 2013 Jan 7.

Abstract

Purpose: The field of reconstructive surgery for hypospadias is lacking standard techniques and followup. Most published series include complication rates after a short followup. We report and analyze the long-term outcome of primary hypospadias repair at a single tertiary care center.

Materials and methods: We reviewed 1,061 operations performed at our institution between 1997 and 2010 and registered as hypospadias repair. The operations were performed in 543 patients born between June 1997 and June 2005. A retrospective database was created with information about hypospadias characteristics, surgery and followup.

Results: A total of 474 primary repairs were selected, excluding incomplete/incorrect files. Distal penile hypospadias was reported in 366 patients (77.2%), mid penile hypospadias in 54 (11.4%) and proximal hypospadias in 54 (11.4%). Initial repair technique was based on incised plate in 189 patients (39.9%), meatal advancement in 171 (36%), onlay flap in 82 (17.3%) and other or combined techniques in 25 (5.3%). Insufficient information was reported for 7 patients (1.5%). Mean age at first operation was 22.6 months (range 4 to 134) and mean followup after first operation was 34.0 months (0 to 145). Of the children 360 (75.9%) had a good long-term outcome and required only 1 procedure. Reoperation was needed in 114 patients (24.1%), of whom 54 (47.4%) underwent reoperation in the first year of followup.

Conclusions: Overall a good long-term outcome without further complication was achieved in 75.9% of our cases. Of the 24.1% of patients who needed reoperation only 47.4% presented within the first year postoperatively, indicating the need for long-term followup when reporting outcomes of hypospadias repair.

MeSH terms

  • Belgium
  • Child, Preschool
  • Constriction, Pathologic / etiology
  • Constriction, Pathologic / surgery
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Hypospadias / diagnosis
  • Hypospadias / surgery*
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Monitoring, Physiologic / methods
  • Plastic Surgery Procedures / adverse effects*
  • Plastic Surgery Procedures / methods
  • Postoperative Complications / diagnosis*
  • Postoperative Complications / surgery
  • Registries
  • Reoperation / methods
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Assessment
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Tertiary Care Centers
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Urinary Fistula / etiology
  • Urinary Fistula / surgery
  • Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male / adverse effects*
  • Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male / methods