Urethral Stricture Surgery/Reconstruction
Urethral stricture is the abnormal narrowing of the urethra (tube that releases urine from the body). Urethral stricture may be caused by inflammation or scar tissue from surgery, disease, or injury. It may also be caused by external pressure from an enlarging tumor near the urethra, although this is rare.
How the treatment performed?
The treatment comprises of the placement of a suprapubic catheter, which allows the bladder to drain urine through the abdomen. It may be necessary to reduce acute problems such as urinary retention and infection. Surgical options vary depending on the location and length of the stricture. Visual internal urethrotomy may be all that is needed for small stricture. A urethral catheter is left in place after the procedure. Open urethroplasty may be performed for long strictures by removing the affected portion or replacing it with another tissue. The results vary depending on the size and location of stricture, prior therapies and the experience of the surgeon. There are no drug regimes currently available for urethral strictures. If all other treatment choices fail, urinary diversion -appendicovesicostomy (Mitrofanoff procedure) - may be performed to allow the patient to perform self-catheterization of the bladder through the abdominal wall. The results of the treatment depend upon the characteristics of the stricture viz. its length, degree of fibres, associated infection, and previous surgeries.