Internal urethrotomy

Summary Urethral dilatation and urethrotomy can be effective treatments of the stricture disease in selected patients when the spongy tissue is not severely damaged. In the few reports comparing urethrotomy and dilatation, results are not significantly different. A long term followup is mandatory in assessing the outcome of treatment of urethral strictures. Charcteristics of the stricture as location, length, caliber, number, and previous failed treatments allow to select the best therapeutical option. After the failure of the first instrumentation, repeated procedures are not curative.      

Sonography of the distal male urethra--a new diagnostic procedure for urethral strictures: results of a retrospective study

We describe a new method of ultrasound investigation of the distal male urethra. With this procedure the periurethral structures are outlined, and the extent of periurethral scarring can be shown. In a retrospective study only strictures with significant periurethral scars recurred after internal urethrotomy. Patients without prominent scars had no stricture recurrence at the previous location. This new method allows for the appropriate decision to be made easier for optimal treatment of urethral strictures.     

Diagnostic in stricture of urethra – whats necessary?

Summary For therapy of strictures of the urethra several procedures are available. The choice of the adequate strategy requires a rational diagnostic, answering questions about localisation, length, shape and funktional effect of the stricture. The most important method is the miction-cyst-urethrography (MCU). Statements about the dimensions of scarred alterations in the corpus spongiosum urethrae are to receive from urethral ultrasonic. In addition you can perform the retrograde urethrography. The functional effects of the urethral stricture should be investigated by uroflowmetry and examinations of the upper urinary tract (ultrasonic/urography).      

Posterior urethral reconstruction

Summary The posterior prostatomembranous urethral stricture or distraction defect has historically been the most formidable challenge of stricture surgery. This uncommon lesion occurs most often as the sequelae of pelvic fracture injuries, or straddle trauma, and is associated with serious urethral disruption and separation – an injury that is often complicted by inappropriate initial management using substitution skin flap techniques with the development of recurrent stenosis, irreversible impotence, and occasional incontinence. Management by endoscopic techniques may be possible in patients with short strictures or in those after prostatectomy, but they rarely play a role in resolving the complex obliterated urethra with a significant defect [1]. Resolution of post-traumatic posterior urethral distraction defects and other posterior urethral pathologic conditions has dramatically improved over the past two decades despite an inaccessible subpublic location involving exposed sphincter-active and erectile neurovascular anatomy. The contemporary, perineal, one-stage bulboprostatic anastomotic operation as popularized by Turner-Warwick [20] with selective scar excision is a versatile procedure with a high patent lumen success. Patients undergoing anastomotic urethroplasty have a substained patent urethral lumen success rate approaching 100 % versus those who have undergone urethral skin flap or patch repair, where the restricture rate in 5 and 10 years increases twofold to threefold [1, 20]. A patent urethra after an anastomotic urethroplasty at 6 months is free from further recurrent stricture and gives credence to Mr. Turner-Warwick's admonition that “urethra is the best substitute for urethra”.      

Sachse optical urethrotomy, a modified technique: 6 years of experience

Urethrotomy with the Sachse optical urethrotome has radically modified our management of strictures of the male urethra. A total of 143 patients underwent 210 procedures during 6 years. The strictures resolved in 85 per cent of the patients and they required no further treatment, including 52 patients followed for more than 6 years. A modified surgical technique using a pediatric cystoscope is described to inspect, traverse and cannulate the urethral stricture before optical urethrotomy, thus, enabling successful management of even the most difficult strictures. Our results confirm that the best prospects of cure were short and single urethral strictures, and that optical urethrotomy is the treatment of choice for strictures of the male urethra.     

Treatment of Urethral Stricture Disease by Internal Urethrotomy,Dilation, or Stenting

Management of urethral strictures depends on the characteristics of each individual case and remains a great challenge in reconstructive urology. Treatment of anterior urethral strictures usually starts with minimally invasive procedures, such as urethral dilatation or internal urethrotomy. The popularity of these methods is based on the simple application, the low complication rate, and the fact that most general urologists do not perform open urethroplasty. These methods offer faster recovery, minimal scarring, and fewer infections, although recurrence is always possible. Success depends on adequate vascularity within the underlying spongiosal tissue, which may substantially increase the failure rate. Because the recurrence rate has remained higher than it was in past decades, various modifications of urethral stricture treatment have been suggested, including laser urethrotomy and urethral stents. Since the late 1980s, two different approaches have been studied to prevent scaring contraction: permanent stent versus temporary stents left indwelling for a limited time and then removed. Although the first reports seemed to promise excellent outcomes, longer follow-up began to cast doubt on the usefulness of urethral stenting as a primary treatment modality for urethral stricture disease. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the published literature with respect to any new information on minimally invasive procedures in the treatment of urethral strictures.Patient summaryThe optimal indications for dilatation or internal urethrotomy are simple bulbar strictures <2 cm without spongiofibrosis or history of previous treatment. Recurrent urethral strictures after repeated interventions are usually more complex and can render the definite open urethral surgery more difficult.     

Internal urethrotomy]

Internal urethrotomy is the first treatment for all kinds of urethral strictures except meatal stenosis and complete urethral obstruction. After urethrotomy a urethral catheter is left indwelling for up to 3 days if the urine is already sterile. In the case of infection it remains in place for 2 weeks. Long-term results depend mainly on the extent of periurethral fibrosis. The over-all success rate is about 50%. Only in a few cases can a second or third urethrotomy be definitively curative. Further urethrotomies are clearly only a palliative treatment of the stricture, comparable in effect to repeated urethral dilatation.     

螺旋CT尿道三维重建诊断后尿道狭窄或闭锁

目的 探讨螺旋CT尿道三维重建技术在后尿道狭窄或闭锁诊断中的应用价值.方法 对30例创伤性后尿道狭窄或闭锁患者术前行螺旋CT薄层扫描和尿道三维重建、X线尿道造影,观察狭窄或闭锁部位、长度以及尿道周围组织解剖结构的改变,并与开放性手术中发现的结果进行对比研究.结果 X线尿道造影检测狭窄或闭锁段长度为1.0～7.0 cm,平均4.0 cm,狭窄或闭锁长度相关系数为0.92,定位准确率为70%(21/30);螺旋CT尿道三维重建检测狭窄或闭锁段长度为1.2～7.6 cm,平均4.3 cm,狭窄或闭锁长度相关系数为0.96,定位准确率为93%(28/30);术中发现后尿道狭窄或闭锁长度为1.5～7.5 cm,平均4.2 cm.5例合并尿道直肠瘘者螺旋CT尿道三维重建可以清楚显示瘘管位置、长度及大小;X线尿道造影则无法清楚显示.结论 螺旋CT尿道三维重建对了解伤后尿道的解剖结构改变、测量尿道狭窄或闭锁部位和长度、指导手术方式选择有较高价值,尤其对合并尿道直肠瘘者有重要的诊断意义.     

Risk factors for the development of prostate brachytherapy related urethral strictures

PURPOSE: We identified clinical, treatment and dosimetric parameters associated with the development of urethral strictures following permanent prostate brachytherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From April 1995 through April 2003, 1,186 consecutive patients underwent prostate brachytherapy for clinical stage T1b-T3a NxM0 (2002 American Joint Committee on Cancer) prostate cancer. The treatment plan included supplemental XRT in 625 patients (52.7%) and androgen deprivation therapy in 465 (39.2%). Median followup was 4.3 years. Multiple clinical, treatment and dosimetric parameters were evaluated in univariate and multivariate analyses to identify independent predictors for urethral stricture disease. RESULTS: A total of 29 patients had brachytherapy related urethral strictures. All strictures involved the BM urethra with a 9-year actuarial risk of 3.6% and a median time to development of 2.4 years. The mean radiation dose to the BM urethra was significantly greater in patients with vs without stricture (p = 0.002). On multivariate analysis the BM urethral dose and supplemental XRT predicted urethral stricture. All except 3 patients were successfully treated with urethral dilation or internal optical urethrotomy. CONCLUSIONS: Brachytherapy related urethral stricture disease correlates highly with the radiation dose to the BM urethra. Careful attention to brachytherapy preplanning and intraoperative execution along with the judicious use of supplemental XRT is essential to minimize the incidence of stricture disease.     

Urethral stricture complicating transurethral prostatic surgery

The incidence of urethral stricture was 9 per cent among 336 patients after transurethral prostatic resection for benign hyperplasia. The strictures were mostly in the penile part of the urethra and could be treated with regular dilation, internal urethrotomy or metal incision. Bacteriuria or indwelling catheter preoperatively did not seem to predispose to stricture formation. When there is an indication of a narrow urethra before TUR, a fine-calibre resectoscope should be used and a preliminary internal urethrotomy is advisable.     

Stricture repair using free graft

Summary Single stage urthroplasty with an onlay patch graft of penile skin or buccal mucosa is an effective treatment for patients with complex anterior urethral stricture disease. Using buccal mucosa, operative time is substantially reduced by using a two-team approach in which one team harvests the graft from the mouth while a perineal team simultaneously exposes and calibrates the stricture. Excellent results can be expected using grafts urethral substitution in men with refractory bulbar strictures. Focal areas of severe stenosis may be excised from the graft bed. For patients with long or dense strictures, grafts may easily be combined with other tissue transfer techniques.      

Urethral stricture following transurethral prostatectomy

Urethral stricture is the most common late complication of transurethral prostatectomy. Uroflowmetry is recommended as the routine screening procedure for strictures postoperatively. If maximal urinary flow rate (Qmax) is below 10 mL/second the patients should be investigated further. The etiology of urethral stricture is still unclear. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the possible etiologic role of infected urine pre- and/or postoperatively, urethral catheterization pre- and postoperatively, catheter material, and the type and size of the resectoscope. A narrow urethra is probably a predisposing factor for stricture formation, but this is not definitively clarified. Only few randomized studies have been performed to evaluate the different prophylactic methods against development of strictures postresection. Resection via perineal urethrotomy, perhaps preceded by urethral calibration, seems to be a way to avoid anterior urethral strictures. The effects of internal urethrotomy preoperatively on stricture formation are conflicting. Further randomized studies are necessary.     

Antegrade cystoscopic light source guided laser urethrotomy for the treatment of completely obliterated urethra

ObjectiveA urethral stricture is the narrowing of the urethra caused by scar formation. The etiologies include infection, trauma with total urethral disruption, and iatrogenic procedures. The impact of urethral stricture diseases is very high. Several kinds of endoscopic procedures have become available for managing the disease. Among them, complete obliteration of the urethra during endoscopic procedures remains a challenge for surgeons. We describe a modified procedure in which laser urethrotomy was guided under the light source from an antegrade flexible cystoscope for treating a short completely obliterated urethra. This procedure is indicated if the obliterated segment is less than 10 mm because longer strictures may increase the chance of extra false lumen formation and bleeding.Materials and MethodsForty-three male patients who underwent optical urethrotomy for urethral strictures at Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital (Kaohsiung, Taiwan) between March 2013 and January 2015 were induced in the study. Five of these patients were diagnosed as having complete urethral obliteration.ResultsIn all five patients with a completely obliterated urethra, retrograde laser incision was performed successfully. Three patients had total bulbar urethral obstruction and two had penile obstruction. All patients experienced improved urination after the procedure.ConclusionOur preliminary data showed that our modified method for treating a completely obliterated urethra yielded satisfactory results. Long-term follow-up and large-scale studies should be conducted to better examine technique efficacy; however, our current results regarding the simple modification of endoscopic urethrotomy seem promising.     

Combined Dorsal and Ventral Buccal Mucosal Graft Urethroplasty by Unilateral Mobilisation of Urethra with Single Dorsal Urethrotomy Incision in Long Segment Anterior Urethral Strictures

The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of combined dorsal and ventral buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty by unilateral mobilisation of urethra with single dorsal urethrotomy incision in long and narrow anterior urethral strictures with preserving the narrow urethral plate and blood supply. Between June 2012 and July 2016, 26 men with long anterior urethral strictures underwent urethroplasty by our technique in a tertiary care teaching hospital. The urethra was mobilised only one side. Then, it was opened in the dorsal midline over the stricture. The first graft was secured on the tunica of the corporal bodies. Thereafter, the diseased mucosa on the ventral side of the urethra was excised and the second graft was placed as ventral inlay and fixed to the corpus spongiosum. The cut edges of urethra were closed by suturing to dorsally placed graft. Successful urethral reconstruction was defined as normal voiding without the need for any postoperative procedure. Mean follow-up was 36 months and mean stricture length was 4.29 cm. Of these 26 cases, 23 (88.4%) were successful and 3 (11.53%) were treatment failures with restricture. The combined dorsal plus ventral buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty by unilateral mobilisation of urethra with single dorsal urethrotomy incision provides adequate urethral augmentation by preserving urethral vascularity and the narrow strip of urethral plate in long and tight anterior urethral strictures.     

腔内手术治疗尿道狭窄及闭锁10年回顾(附203例报告)

目的：提高腔内手术治疗尿道狭窄及闭锁的治疗效果。方法：总结10年来经腔内手术治疗尿道狭窄及闭锁患者203例的体会。结果：203例中手术成功194例（96％）,其中行2次腔内手术者9例,3次腔内手术者5例。手术失败9例（4％）改行开放手术,失败原因与狭窄段较长（＞3cm)、反复腔内操作及严重瘢痕化等因素有关。获随访者157例（6个月－8年）,143例排尿顺畅,14例需定期尿道扩张。结论：腔内手术可以作为治疗尿道狭窄及闭锁的首选方法,应争取一次成功,尽量避免重复手术。     

Long-term results of optical urethrotomy

In a 7-year period 137 men with urethral stricture underwent optical urethrotomy. Over 91% were relieved of their stricture symptoms and required no further treatment, including 41 patients in whom the follow-up period exceeded 4 years. The surgical technique is outlined. Strictures with the best prospect of cure were short and single. Optical urethrotomy is confirmed as the treatment of choice in strictures of the male urethra.     

Dorsal inlay buccal mucosal graft (Asopa) urethroplasty for anterior urethral stricture

Asopa described the inlay of a graft into Snodgrass’s longitudinal urethral plate incision using a ventral sagittal urethrotomy approach in 2001. He claimed that this technique was easier to perform and led to less tissue ischemia due to no need for mobilization of the urethra. This approach has subsequently been popularized among reconstructive urologists as the dorsal inlay urethroplasty or Asopa technique. Depending on the location of the stricture, either a subcoronal circumferential incision is made for penile strictures, or a midline perineal incision is made for bulbar strictures. Other approaches for penile urethral strictures include the non-circumferential penile incisional approach and a penoscrotal approach. We generally prefer the circumferential degloving approach for penile urethral strictures. The penis is de-gloved and the urethra is split ventrally to exposure the stricture. It is then deepened to include the full thickness of the dorsal urethra. The dorsal surface is made raw and grafts are fixed on the urethral surface. Quilting sutures are placed to further anchor the graft. A Foley catheter is placed and the urethra is retubularized in two layers with special attention to the staggering of suture lines. The skin incision is then closed in layers. We have found that it is best to perform an Asopa urethroplasty when the urethral plate is ≥1 cm in width. The key to when to use the dorsal inlay technique all depends on the width of the urethral plate once the urethrotomy is performed, stricture etiology, and stricture location (penile vs. bulb).     

COLOR DOPPLER ULTRASOUND ASSESSMENT OF URETHRAL ARTERY LOCATION: POTENTIAL IMPLICATION FOR TECHNIQUE OF VISUAL INTERNAL URETHROTOMY

Purpose

We assessed the location of urethral arteries in patients with urethral stricture using color Doppler ultrasound.

Materials and Methods

We performed 41 color ultrasound studies of the urethra in 33 patients 17 to 76 years old. The linear array transducer was placed on the ventral surface of the penis and perineum to image the urethra and periurethral structures. In addition of evaluating the extent of stricture disease, color Doppler ultrasound determined the location of the urethral arteries at the segment with stricture.

Results

The number and site of the urethral arteries vary among individuals. Contrary to the common belief that these arteries are located at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions, we have found that in the bulbous urethra the arteries are at the 1 to 2 o'clock positions in 14% of cases, 3 to 4 in 22%, 5 to 6 in 17%, 7 to 8 in 18%, 9 to 10 in 18% and 11 to 12 in 11%. The arteries may be close to the surface of the urethral lumen, especially in patients who have undergone previous urethral procedures. Preoperative evaluation of urethral artery location may be helpful for preventing arterial bleeding at visual internal urethrotomy.

Conclusions

Color Doppler ultrasound can effectively assess the extent of stricture disease and urethral artery sites. Because the location of the urethral arteries varies among patients, individual preoperative assessment is advisable. Color Doppler ultrasound is currently our imaging method of choice for evaluating strictures of the pendulous and bulbous urethra.