Assessing Possible Improvements to Cosmetic and Functional Outcomes of Penile Split Thickness Skin Grafting With Autologous Fat Graft
University of Pittsburgh
Summary
The goal of this randomized interventional clinical trial is to learn if placement of a thin layer of fatty tissue (fat graft) beneath a split-thickness skin graft on the surface of the penis improved outcomes of surgery in men who are scheduled to undergo reconstructive surgery on their penis and genitals. This is a randomized study, meaning that half of participants will receive the fat graft with their standard-of-care surgery, and half will have their standard-of-care surgery alone. Fat grafting underneath split-thickness skin grafts in other parts of the body has been shown to improve healing of the skin graft. Both study groups will be followed for specific outcomes through outpatient clinic visits for the first 12 months after their surgery, as well as chart review. Questions the investigators hope to answer include: * Does fat grafting improve the pliability and feel of the penile skin after grafting * Does fat grafting change the penile length after surgery * Does fat grafting improve sexual function, urinary function, and genital self-image after surgery * Are there any unforeseen complications related to the fat grafting procedure Participants will be asked to complete questionnaires related to sexual, urinary, and genital self-image questionnaires before surgery, 3 months after surgery, and 12 months after surgery. Noninvasive testing of the penile skin will also be performed at participants' routine appointments.
Description
The investigators seek to study a novel adipose-based therapeutic strategy to improve cosmetic and function outcomes at the time of penile split-thickness skin graft (STSG) application during penile reconstruction. This entails a therapeutic repurposing of commonly utilized fat and skin grafting protocols to provide a fat-first reconstruction to address each of these limitations in one simple, economical, and widely accessible treatment for point-of-care penile reconstruction. Autologous adipose tissue is ideal as an adjunct to penile split-thickness skin grafting because it: 1) provides immed…