RESUMEN
Objective:To establish an experimental phalloplasty model with sensory restoration in rabbits and to explore a new surgical technique to improve the postoperative sensory function in phallic reconstruction. Methods: Adult male New Zealand white rabbit was used. Penile reconstruction was performed with superficial epigastric faciovascular pedicle flap. Free saphenous nerve graft was dissected, embedded in the flap, and end-to-end anastomosed to dorsal nerve of penis. Postoperatively, H-E staining and CGRP immunohistochemical staining were applied to observe the morphology of the regenerated nerves in the reconstructed penis at different stages. Results:Only a few CGRP-positive fibers scattered in deep corium in the reconstructed penis 1 month after surgery, while the quantity of CGRP nerve fibers increased markedly and the CGRP-positive fibers appeared in both superficial corium and papillae corii after 3 months. Six months postoperatively, the positive nerve fibers were also observed around the cutaneous accessories and in the epidermis-corium boundary layer. Conclusion: This rabbit model demonstrates the possibility of a new method for phalloplasty with sensory recovery, which may redound to clinical application.