ABSTRACT
The ideal substitution materials for urethroplasty or penile reconstruction, autologous vs. heterologous, biological vs. synthetic materials, grafts vs. flaps, are controversial subjects. The question of which material will be best for such surgery, especially for urethroplasty, has been discussed considerably in the past. Some experienced surgeons have claimed that skin taken from extragenital sources and split-thickness skin grafts have a poor take1 and a tendency to contract, causing high failure rates. Others have claimed that, from free grafts used in urethroplasty, only full-thickness penile skin grafts fare well.2 Although longterm results are comparable in repairs done using flaps vs. grafts, some authors prefer to use grafts because of the shorter operating time;3 however, this is a very surgeon-dependent decision.
