Tubularized incised plate urethroplasty for proximal hypospadias

OBJECTIVES: Numerous surgical procedures have been used to correct distal hypospadias. Among them, the tubularized incised plate urethroplasty (Snodgrass procedure) has become a mainstay for the repair of distal hypospadias. We applied the procedure to proximal hypospadias. METHODS: Three patients with proximal hypospadias underwent a tubularized incised urethral plate urethroplasty. The location of the meatus was proximal penis in one, penoscrotal margin in one and scrotum in one. A perimeatal incision was made and the two paramedian incisions were extended to the tip of the glans. The skin of the penile shaft was dissected free to the penoscrotal junction and bands of fibrous tissue were excised until the corpus spongiosum proximal to the meatus was completely exposed inside the scrotum. The urethral plate was then incised in its midline from the tip of the glans to the hypospadiac meatus and was tubularized without tension. The neourethra was covered with a pedicle of subcutaneous tissue dissected from the dorsal skin or the scrotal skin to avoid fistula formation. RESULTS: The tubularized incised urethral plate urethroplasty was carried out successfully in one stage on three patients with proximal hypospadias. CONCLUSIONS: The Snodgrass procedure is suitable for correcting hypospadias in patients with a healthy urethral plate. It is also suitable in patients with proximal hypospadias.