Neophalloplasty to congenital aphallia using two transverse skin-flaps: an alternative approach.

Objective: Penile agenesis is a rare congenital abnormality with an incidence of 1 in 30 million births. We want to demonstrate in this video a new technique of neophalloplasty based on two transverse skin flaps from lower abdominal wall.

Methods: The patient was placed into a prone position; the urethral meatus was found inside the rectum, 2 cm from the anal border. An Anterior Sagittal Transrectal Approach (ASTRA) approach was performed; the urethra was isolated and repositioned as a perineal urethrostomy. We created the neophallus based on two flaps, each measuring 7 × 3 cm. After incision, flaps were rotated 90° and sutured to each other creating the neophallus. We also created a Mitrofanoff channel to secure bladder emptying in cases of urethrostomy stricture.

Results: The patient had an uneventful immediate postoperative evolution, but later showed some degree of penile retraction. He voids preferably through the urethrostomy and his mother uses the Mitrofanoff once a day. The current follow-up is 18 months.

Conclusion: We acknowledge limited clinical experience with this technique. However, the same principle has been used to create catheterizable urinary channels, with favorable results and longer follow-up. The use of transverse skin flaps might be an interesting alternative for neophalloplasty in aphallia.