In general, repair of a fistula has a higher success rate than urethroplasty for the simple reason that it is easier to repair a single point than a long section of the urethra. However, there are some special circumstances in which urethral fistula repair is often unsuccessful, for example, there is a narrowing at the distal end of the urethral fistula, severe scarring at the urethral fistula, and the long segment of the urethra is split open (called urethrocutaneous fistula by some surgeons), and so on. In addition, it is relatively difficult to repair a fistula in the coronal sulcus, and special attention should be paid to infection when repairing a fistula (there are often more bacteria in the urethra distal to the fistula, especially in larger fistulas where the urethra distal to the fistula is not sufficiently flushed with urine). Overall, the success rate of urethral surgery should be higher in specialized hospitals and by specialized surgeons.