Technique for preservation of penile skin in genital reconstruction: free graft to the scrotum.

OBJECTIVE

To describe a new technique to preserve the penile epithelium with good cosmetic results when additional surgery is a significant possibility. Complex genital reconstruction can require multiple procedures.

METHODS

Seven patients underwent grafting of the penile epithelium to the scrotum during genital reconstruction to bank the tissue for potential future use. The graft size was 8-40 mm in the maximal length.

RESULTS

The median age at surgery was 8.1 months. The median interval to the last follow-up examination after surgery was 13.5 months. All 7 patients demonstrated excellent wound healing with good cosmetic results.

CONCLUSION

In patients with complex genital anomalies, nonhair-bearing epithelium is a valuable asset. At times, the paucity of available local tissue necessitates autografting with nongenital epithelium. The need for nongenital tissue can be reduced if excess penile skin is banked for potential use at a later date. We describe a technique in which the penile skin is preserved for potential future reconstruction using free grafting to the scrotum.