Vaginal and penile reconstruction.
OBJECTIVE
Reconstructive surgery for patients with genital abnormalities or for patients who require reconstructive efforts is challenging. This review highlights those articles, which are outstanding among all those important papers, which have been published during the last year (2002-2003).


RESULTS
A greater understanding of embryonal development improves the success of reconstructive surgery. Other factors, such as the patient's sex, influence the surgical technique used and the degree of invasiveness or complexity. In the adult the pressure to shorten hospital stays has played a big part in the continual modification and enhancement of surgical techniques. In addition to modified techniques, new off-the-shelf materials are introduced to the clinic, which seem to have the potential to improve the surgical outcome and shorten hospital stays.


CONCLUSIONS
With the continued successful basic anatomy and basic research, reconstructive surgery brings higher success rates. Long-term results are still required to validate the reliability of these new surgical techniques and materials.
Sievert
Karl-Dietrich
KD
Department of Urology, University of Münster, Albert Schweitzer Strasse 33, D-48129 Münster, Germany. sievertk@uni-muenster.de
D001746:Bladder Exstrophy / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010413:Penis / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014521:Urethra / Q000601:surgery; D014596:Uterine Prolapse / Q000601:surgery; D014621:Vagina / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*