Dorsal versus ventral strip augmented anastomotic bulbar urethroplasty: retrospective study

Purpose: The published literature shows controversies with regard to the treatment of choice for longer stricture. Augmented anastomotic urethroplasty (AAU) was described for long bulbar urethral strictures with an extended area of narrowing and fibrosis, the technique combines the advantages of both anastomosis and graft substitution. We aimed to compare the dorsal and ventral strip anastomosis in the AAU. Methods: A retrospective Review was conducted at the Department of Urology, Sohag University Hospital; we included adult patients with long bulbar urethral strictures (> 2 cm) who underwent dorsal or ventral strip AAU. Patients were followed at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively for subjective improvements. The statistical analysis was carried with SPSS software version 24 for windows. Results: At the end of follow-up, stricture recurrence occurred in 5 (12.5%) in ventral strip group compared to 6 (23.1%) in dorsal group, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.5). With regard to safety outcomes, there was no statistically significant difference between both groups in any of the postoperative complications, except post-void dribbling which showed higher incidence in dorsal strip group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In conclusion, both dorsal strip and ventral strip techniques are feasible for long bulbar urethral strictures with comparable postoperative efficacy outcomes and high success rate.