ABSTRACT
The genitourinary system is exposed to a variety of possible injuries from the time the fetus develops. Aside from congenital abnormalities, individuals may also suffer from other disorders such as cancer, trauma, infection, inflammation, iatrogenic injuries, or other conditions that may lead to genitourinary organ damage or loss, requiring eventual reconstruction. The type of tissue chosen for replacement depends on which organ requires reconstruction. Bladder and ureteral reconstruction may be performed with gastrointestinal tissues. Urethral reconstruction is performed with skin, mucosal grafts from the bladder, rectum, or oral cavity. Vaginas can be reconstructed with skin, small bowel, sigmoid colon, and rectum. However, a shortage of donor tissue may limit these types of reconstructions and there is a degree of morbidity associated with the harvest procedure. In addition, these approaches rarely replace the entire function of the original organ. The tissues used for reconstruction may lead to complications due to their
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inherently different functional parameters. In most cases, the replacement of lost or deficient tissues with functionally equivalent tissues would improve the outcome for these patients. This goal may be attainable with the use of tissue engineering techniques.
