Pedicled rectus abdominis muscle flap wrapped around the penis for enhanced urethral pressure: an experimental study in dogs.

Abstract

PURPOSE: It was the aim of this study to investigate the possibility of pedicled rectus abdominis muscle fascial flap wrapped around the penis for enhanced urethral pressure in dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten adult male Beagle dogs underwent a procedure in which surrounding tissue of the penis at the site of the bulbomembranous urethra was dissected and a pedicled rectus abdominis muscle fascial flap was wrapped around the penis. Profilometry of the urethral pressure was carried out before, during and after the operation in all dogs. RESULTS: Before the operation, the mean maximal urethral pressure (MUP) was 48.9 +/- 11 cm H(2)O, and the mean MUP was 78.3 +/- 20.5 cm H(2)O after the penis was surrounded by a rectus muscle flap. There was a significant difference (t = 4.99, p = 0.0007). Ten weeks after the operation, the mean MUP was 88.3 +/- 22.4 cm H(2)O, which was significantly higher than that before the operation (t = 6.0584, p = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: A pedicled rectus abdominis muscle fascial flap wrapped around the penis can raise the urethral pressure. This provided an experiment basis for treating male urinary incontinence with a pedicled rectus muscle flap.