title: Tubeless Barcat: a patient-friendly hypospadias procedure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the distinct advantages of a catheter-free hypospadias repair can be obtained with a Barcat procedure without an adverse effect on surgical outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review was performed on consecutive patients who had undergone a catheter-free Barcat repair from July 1998 to May 2002. Patient records were examined for information regarding age, meatal location, primary or secondary procedure, operative time, postoperative follow-up, and complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-six consecutive catheter-free Barcat hypospadias repairs were performed in the review period. Patient age ranged from 6 months to 9 years (mean 26 months). All patients either had a coronal meatus or a subcoronal meatus. Thirty-three patients (92%) underwent a primary repair. Three patients (8%) underwent the repair as a secondary procedure after a previous failed procedure. The mean follow-up was 25 months. One patient required a single catheterization in the immediate postoperative period for urinary retention. Another patient had glans separation and meatal retrusion requiring a revision procedure. All the other patients achieved a satisfactory cosmetic result with an orthotopic slit-like meatus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Barcat hypospadias repair may be performed in patients with distal hypospadias without the use of a postoperative urethral catheter. Foregoing a catheter had no adverse effect on the surgical outcome with reduced patient discomfort.
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bernie
authors.forename: Madhu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alagiri
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007021:Hypospadias / Q000601:surgery*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010413:Penis / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014521:Urethra / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D013521:Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data