Does the dorsal plication matter with the results of primary hypospadias repair?

Background: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of dorsal plication (DP) in correcting mild-to-moderate ventral penile curvature (VPC) during primary hypospadias repair with urethral plate preservation.

Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients who underwent DP during primary hypospadias repair with urethral plate preservation between January 2018 and December 2021. Patients were categorized into 2 groups based on the degree of curvature following degloving: <30° (group 1) and 30° to 40° (group 2). Recurrent VPC, urethral complications, and pediatric penile perception scores were analyzed.

Results: Seventy-six patients met the inclusion criteria: 59 in group 1 and 17 in group 2. The incidences of recurrent VPC (1.7% vs. 5.9%; p = 0.928) and urethral complications (32.2% vs. 29.4%; p = 0.827) were comparable between groups. A total of 29 completed pediatric penile perception scores questionnaires were collected. No significant difference was observed in dissatisfaction with penile length (13.6% vs. 14.3%; p = 0.692).

Conclusions: Dorsal plication did not increase the rates of VPC recurrence, urethral complications, or dissatisfaction with penile length in cases with 30° to 40° VPC after degloving. Long-term follow-up with larger sample sizes is warranted to further assess the efficacy of DP.