Urethral Stricture
Overview
A urethral stricture is a narrowing of the urethra, the tube which carries urine out of your body. This results in a restriction of the urine flow, causing various symptoms. A urethral stricture can occur in both sexes but are rare in women. It can develop anywhere along the length of the urethra and is a common condition in men that results in many office and hospital visits and admissions. The cause of urethral strictures is divided into four major groups: idiopathic, iatrogenic, inflammatory, and traumatic, with the idiopathic and iatrogenic being the most common at 33% each.
Diagnosis
You may experience a progressive weakening of your urine stream, or nocturia, where you wake up in the night to pass urine. Overall, 70% of all patients present only with obstructive symptoms.
Your medical team will most likely recommend uroflowmetry for their initial investigation. It provides a good assessment of the urethral flow. Urethroscopies or cystoscopies are also relatively quick and easy investigations which help diagnose urethral stricture. If the clinical picture and uroflowmetry suggest stricture, a urethrography may be recommended to confirm the diagnosis. An ultrasonography (US) may also be recommended to assess the bladder and upper urinary tract.
Treatment
If you are not experiencing any complications, treatment will be focused on relieving your symptoms. However, if your case presents with complications such as recurring infections or acute retention, treatment will reduce these.
Generally, urethral stricture treatments are divided into transurethral (dilation, internal urethrotomy) and open surgical (stricture resection and anastomosis, graft urethroplasty, and perineal urethrostomy). Recurrence happens often with any of these treatment options, especially in cases with long strictures or strictures which were previously treated.
Why GMI
At the GMI, Department of Urology, a dedicated team of internationally acclaimed physicians guides each patient through their entire journey, from their diagnostic work-up to their treatment and post-treatment care.
The GMI team will never offer a simple “one size fits all” approach to any patient. We believe each patient’s case is as individual as they are and strive to find the best solution for each of our patients, taking their specific case and diagnosis, their lifestyle, and choices into account.
We believe each of our patients is more than their diagnosis. That’s why our dedicated paramedics team supports patients on their journey by offering more than just expert medical care. We offer psychological help, integrative services (including yoga classes, and acupuncture) and have a GMI Patient Advocacy Program.
Adhering to our passion for innovation, and desire to progress the medical field, the GMI Department of Urology both initiates and participates in several clinical trials in which the most modern and advanced treatment concepts are tested.
