Successful Hypospadias Repair in Infants Using Brief Urinary Diversion and Watertight Neourethral Closure

Since July 1982, 23 children between 10 and 28 months old underwent correction of hypospadias. After chordee was resected the urethral orifice was in the perineum in 3, at the penoscrotal junction in 5, on the proximal or mid shaft in 10 or at the distal shaft in 5. The neourethra was fashioned from a transverse island pedicle of preputial skin for proximal hypospadias or by using Mustarde's technique for distal hypospadias. A perforated silicone tube was left in the urethra and a feeding tube was passed through the lumen of the urethral stent to drain the bladder. Up to 4 days later the bladder catheter was removed and the children voided per the neourethra. The urethral stent was removed between 6 and 30 days postoperatively. Voiding through a recently constructed urethra was well tolerated. The boys did not experience bladder spasms, urinary extravasation did not occur and cosmetic results were good. Meatal stenosis did not occur. Three children (13 per cent) required closure of a fistula, which was noted 1 to 2 1/2 years later. It appears that briefly diverting bladder urine after hypospadias repair ameliorated postoperative morbidity without compromising the results. This technique was found to be inappropriate in older boys because of significant dysuria.