Donor Site Outcome After Oral Mucosa Harvest for Urethroplasty in Children and Adults

Purpose: we report short and long-term donor site outcomes after oral mucosa graft harvesting for urological reconstructionin a large series of patients including children, and identify possible risk factors for an untoward long-term outcome. Materials and methods: a total of 78 patients were evaluated. Short-term outcomes included time to restore normal oraldiet, perioral sensory defect/discomfort and jaw opening impairment occurring within 4 weeks of surgery. Long-termoutcomes included donor site scarring, perioral sensory defect and jaw opening impairment occurring more than 1 yearpostoperatively. Long-term outcomes were assessed via a questionnaire administered to patients and on clinical examinationby an oral surgeon. Outcomes were compared in children (younger than 12 years at surgery) and adults, and with regard toharvesting site, graft length, length of followup and other variables.Results: Two-thirds of the patients returned to a normal oral diet within 3 days postoperatively (range 1 to 8). All patientscomplained of perioral sensory defect/discomfort postoperatively, and 26% had jaw opening impairment. After a medianfollowup of 7.6 years (range 1 to 13.2) perioral sensory defect was the most common complication observed (28%) in casesformally evaluated by an oral surgeon. The sensory defect was seldom perceived by the patients and never requiredtreatment. It was statistically more common in patients undergoing surgery as adults, whereas none of the other variablesproved significant.Conclusions: Oral mucosa graft harvesting is safe irrespective of age. About a quarter of patients, more commonly adults,will have a long-term perioral sensory defect. However, the defect is never perceived as bothersome