title: La Vega slit procedure for the treatment of phimosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The surgical treatment of phimosis is usually circumcision. In countries in which circumcision is not widely practiced, this approach results in a phallus that is cosmetically unacceptable. We applied a ventral slit procedure to boys with severe phimosis and achieved outstanding results.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients were selected during a 1-week medical mission to La Vega in the Dominican Republic during April 1997. Eight patients presented with severe phimosis. The patient age ranged from 3 to 7 years (mean 4.4). All patients were cleared by the team pediatrician before undergoing the procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight patients underwent the procedure without complications. The operative time was less than 10 minutes in all instances. All had excellent postoperative cosmesis, were able to retract their foreskins, and voided without difficulty. A follow-up mission to La Vega in March 1998 yielded no complications involving this group of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unlike circumcision and the dorsal slit procedure, this approach yields a phallus that on initial appearance is indistinguishable from an uncircumcised phallus. The procedure is easily performed and should be considered in the treatment of phimosis whenever foreskin preservation is desired.
authors.affiliation: Section of Pediatric Urology, Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Camden, New Jersey 08103-1439, USA.
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ritchie
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Zaontz
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010413:Penis / Q000601:surgery; D010688:Phimosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods