Evaluation of intraoral complications of buccal mucosa graft in augmentation urethroplasty.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate intraoral complications of buccal mucosa grafts harvested from one cheek, and used in augmentation urethroplasty.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients with anterior urethral strictures were included in our study. In twelve patients, dorsal onlay, in five patients ventral onlay and in four patients lateral onlay procedures were applied. Average length of buccal mucosa graft from one cheek was 5.2 cm (3-8 cm). In all graft harvesting patients, bleeding in graft side, swelling, pain intensity of oral or perineal area, analgesic use, transition time to normal diet, slurred speech, loss of sensation, and patients' opinions about oral mucosa regrafting using this technique were evaluated using nine-item questionnaire forms.

RESULTS: Eighteen (85.7%) of our patients had mild pain, 13 (61.9%) had mild intraoral swelling, none of our patients had oral bleeding that needed extra procedure and all of our patients were observed to start off their normal diet in the first 3 days. Twelve (57.1%) of our patients needed analgesic agents after the operation while 14 (66.7%) of them have remarked that perineal incision was more painful. Twenty (95.3%) of our patients stated that they could go under the same procedure again. None of our patients had speech disorders or intraoral numbness.

CONCLUSION: Even though buccal mucosal grafting used in augmentation urethroplasty is not a completely painless procedure, buccal mucosa graft is an ideal source of allograft in terms of safe and easy obtainance and improved patient tolerance.