Does the dorsal plication matter with the results of primary hypospadias repair?

Background In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of dorsal plication (DP) in correcting mild-to-moderate ventral penile curvature (VPC) during primary hypospadias repair with urethral plate preservation. Materials and methods We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients who underwent DP during primary hypospadias repair with urethral plate preservation between January 2018 and December 2021. Patients were categorized into 2 groups based on the degree of curvature following degloving: <30° (group 1) and 30° to 40° (group 2). Recurrent VPC, urethral complications, and pediatric penile perception scores were analyzed. Results Seventy-six patients met the inclusion criteria: 59 in group 1 and 17 in group 2. The incidences of recurrent VPC (1.7% vs. 5.9%; p = 0.928) and urethral complications (32.2% vs. 29.4%; p = 0.827) were comparable between groups. A total of 29 completed pediatric penile perception scores questionnaires were collected. No significant difference was observed in dissatisfaction with penile length (13.6% vs. 14.3%; p = 0.692). Conclusions Dorsal plication did not increase the rates of VPC recurrence, urethral complications, or dissatisfaction with penile length in cases with 30° to 40° VPC after degloving. Long-term follow-up with larger sample sizes is warranted to further assess the efficacy of DP.