The Expanding Use of Buccal Mucosal Grafts in Urologic Surgery

Buccal Mucosal Ureteroplasty for the Management of Ureteral Strictures: Patient Selection and Considerations

“… 2 Despite these early descriptions, it was not until the late 1990s that the promising performance of oral mucosa for urethral reconstruction became mainstream. 3 Buccal mucosal grafts are now considered the gold standard tissue substitute in urethral reconstruction, with the 2016 American Urologic Association (AUA) urethral stricture guidelines specifying its use as the first choice graft for urethroplasty. 4 , 5 BMG are relatively easy to harvest, there is low associated morbidity, the mucosa is compatible with a wet environment, hairless, resistant to infection, and critically the thick epithelium and thin lamina propria layer in BMGs are ideal properties to facilitate the imbibition and inosculation that are critical to the success of free grafts.…”

“… 4 , 5 BMG are relatively easy to harvest, there is low associated morbidity, the mucosa is compatible with a wet environment, hairless, resistant to infection, and critically the thick epithelium and thin lamina propria layer in BMGs are ideal properties to facilitate the imbibition and inosculation that are critical to the success of free grafts. 3 , 6 , 7 With its proven efficacy in urethral reconstruction, it is only natural that the applications of BMG have expanded to ureteral reconstruction.…”