Treatment of urethral strictures with internal urethrotomy and 6 weeks of silastic catheter drainage

Treatment of Urethral Stricture Disease by Internal Urethrotomy followed by Intermittent ‘Low-Friction’ Self-Catheterization: Preliminary Communication

The aim of this study was to determine whether the natural course of urethral stricture disease could be modified following urethrotomy by teaching patients intermittent self-catheterization. Preliminary results in 42 patients show that postoperative urine flow rates can be maintained if this method of ‘low-friction’ catheterization is adopted. The technique has been well received by an elderly group of patients and can be recommended for wider use.

Male urethral strictures and their management

Male urethral stricture disease is prevalent and has a substantial impact on quality of life and health-care costs. Management of urethral strictures is complex and depends on the characteristics of the stricture. Data show that there is no difference between urethral dilation and internal urethrotomy in terms of long-term outcomes; success rates range widely from 8-80%, with long-term success rates of 20-30%. For both of these procedures, the risk of recurrence is greater for men with longer strictures, penile urethral strictures, multiple strictures, presence of infection, or history of prior procedures. Analysis has shown that repeated use of urethrotomy is not clinically effective or cost-effective in these patients. Long-term success rates are higher for surgical reconstruction with urethroplasty, with most studies showing success rates of 85-90%. Many techniques have been utilized for urethroplasty, depending on the location, length, and character of the stricture. Successful management of urethral strictures requires detailed knowledge of anatomy, pathophysiology, proper patient selection, and reconstructive techniques.

Post-operative care following primary optical urethrotomy: towards an evidence based approach

Introduction:

Optical urethrotomy (OU) is the commonest procedure performed for primary bulbar urethral strictures. Recurrence rates of up to 50% are reported, but data is lacking on the influence of post-operative management regimes on patient’s outcomes. The aim of this study was to quantify the variation in treatment approaches within a region and determine from the literature what constitutes best practice.

Methods:

A survey regarding post-operative management following OU was sent to urologists in the Yorkshire Deanery. The questions related to post-operative catheter usage, intermittent self dilatation (ISD) regimes and follow-up investigations. A literature review regarding these aspects of post-operative care was subsequently performed.

Results:

Questionnaires were sent to 70 urologists, of which 42 urologists replied. All respondents insert a urethral catheter following OU. Two thirds of respondents advise patients to perform ISD but one third of those advise continuing for only 6 months. Uroflowmetry and post micturition residual estimation are the mainstay of follow up investigations.

Conclusions:

The practice in our region largely reflects the best available evidence. The literature suggests that catheter size/material has no effect on outcome. Catheter duration should be for less than 3 days due to increased risk of recurrence. ISD should be performed for at least one year as this is associated with significantly lower recurrence rates than 6 months treatment. Urethrography is more accurate than uroflowmetery for follow up but results must be correlated with patient symptoms.

What is the place of internal urethrotomy in the treatment of urethral stricture disease?

As a treatment for male urethral stricture, internal urethrotomy (IU) has the advantages of ease, simplicity, speed and short convalescence. Various modifications of the single cold-knife incision in the 12 o'clock position have been proposed, but there are no prospective, randomized studies to prove their claims of greater efficacy. IU can be performed as an outpatient procedure using local anesthesia, with an indwelling silicone catheter for 3 days after the procedure. Complications of IU are usually minor, including infection and hemorrhage. The reported success rate of IU varies, mainly because of differences in the definition of success and the duration of follow-up. Strictures can recur, usually within 3-12 months of IU. There are several known risk factors for recurrence: a previous IU, penile and membranous strictures, long (>2 cm) and multiple strictures, untreated perioperative urinary infection and extensive periurethral spongiofibrosis. Repeated IU might be useful in patients who have a stricture recurrence more than 6 months after the initial procedure, but repeat IU offers no long-term cure after a third IU, or if a stricture recurs within 3 months of the first IU. Such patients should be offered urethroplasty. Repeated IU followed by long-term self-dilation is an alternative option for men with severe comorbidity and limited life expectancy, or those who have failed previous urethroplasty. Overall, IU has a lower success rate (+/-60%) than urethroplasty (+/-80-90%), but if used for selected strictures, the success rate of IU could approach that of urethroplasty.

Endoscopic management of post-traumatic prostatic and supraprostatic strictures using Neodymium-YAG laser

We assessed the feasibility, efficacy and long-term results of endoscopic management using Neodymium-YAG (Nd-YAG) laser as a day care procedure in patients with post-traumatic supraprostatic and prostatic strictures. Three patients with post-traumatic prostatic and supraprostatic obliterative strictures underwent Nd-YAG laser core through urethrotomy as a day care procedure. Patient age ranged between 12 and 14 years. Mean duration of injury was 16 months. The length of stricture was assessed by bi-directional endoscopy prior to the procedure in all cases. Core through procedure was carried out using Nd-YAG laser under the guidance of a cystoscope placed antegradely. Patients were discharged on the same day with urethral catheter. Foley catheters were removed at 6 weeks. Nd-YAG laser core through procedure was carried out successfully in all cases with negligible blood loss in a mean time of 48 min. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. Patients were discharged on the same day. Follow-up cystogram was conducted at 6 weeks and urethroscopy at months. At a mean follow-up of 23 months, patients were asymptomatic and voiding well. Nd-YAG laser core through urethrotomy is a safe and effective procedure. It is a less invasive alternative to more complex urethroplasty procedures for patients with post-traumatic prostatic and supraprostatic strictures. It can be carried out as a day care procedure in carefully selected patients and has no complications.

Prevention of urethral stricture recurrence using clean intermittent self-catheterization

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) on prevention of urethral stricture recurrence after internal urethrotomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Of 55 men who were randomly selected, 43 completed the investigation. Of these, 21 patients performed CIC weekly for 1 year following Sachse's operation for urethral stricture and 22 patients formed the control group after the same operation. All had an objective examination for urethral stricture every 2 months after surgery.

RESULTS

Significantly fewer (P < 0.01) patients developed recurrence of urethral stricture within the first postoperative year in the CIC group (n = 4) compared with the control group (n = 15). No CIC complications were seen, and patients who completed the CIC programme considered the method fully acceptable.

CONCLUSION

Weekly CIC is a simple method of reducing the frequency of urethral stricture recurrence after internal urethrotomy.

Analysis of factors contributing to success or failure of 1-stage urethroplasty for urethral stricture disease

We reviewed charts with adequate documentation and followup (mean 24.6 months) between 1970 and 1987 of 110 patients who had undergone 1-stage urethroplasty for urethral stricture disease at our institutions. Two age peaks were observed, 1 in the younger population (21 to 30 years old) with traumatic strictures (50% of all strictures) and 1 in elderly men (61 to 70 years old) with mainly post-inflammatory strictures (28.2% of all strictures). The majority of all strictures (63.6%) were in the bulbous urethra. Only strictures induced by trauma were located in the membranous urethra (total 28.2%). A patch graft repair was used in 49.1% of all cases, an end-to-end technique in 29.1% and a transpubic repair in 21.8%. Overall, a 57% rate of excellent results was observed with 24% failures. The results were best for patch graft repairs (65% excellent), followed by end-to-end repairs (56% excellent) and transpubic repairs (42% excellent). The choice of the surgical approach in urethral stricture surgery is dictated by the location of the stricture. The location in turn is dependent on the etiology of the stricture. Consequently, the cause of the stricture affects the location and character of the stricture and, therefore, has an immediate impact on the choice of the surgical approach and, thus, the outcome of the patient. The failure rate doubled overall when the patients had a previous manipulation for the stricture disease or if the urine was infected preoperatively despite antibiotic coverage. While our patient population may not be representative for other institutions, some general conclusions regarding proper management and treatment selection can be drawn from our experience.

Postoperative care following internal urethrotomy

A randomized prospective study was set up to assess the role of postoperative catheter drainage and the value of hydraulic self-dilatation of the urethra after internal urethrotomy. Sixty-two patients were admitted into the study and followed-up for two years. The results support the use of a no-catheter posturethrotomy management and advocate the encouragement of postoperative hydraulic self-urethral dilatation.

Visual internal urethrotomy with postoperative cystostomy or urethral catheter

Visual internal urethrotomy is nowadays considered by many to be a very useful method of treating urethral strictures. There is still controversy, however, about how long the postoperative urethral catheter should be left in situ. A prospective randomised study was therefore performed to evaluate the influence on the results of urethral catheterisation versus a suprapubic cystostomy for 5 weeks. After 12-36 months of follow-up (mean 25 months) there was a significant difference in result in favour of the urethral catheter. In the catheterised group, 13 out of 20 patients were without recurrence, compared to 4 out of 17 patients in the cystostomy group. Of the total number of 76 patients treated by postoperative urethral catheterisation, 37 (48%) had a normal or slightly subnormal flow-rate 12-60 months after the urethrotomy. Young patients and patients with stricture treated for the first time showed significantly better results than older patients or patients who had previously been treated twice or more. The stricture diameter-prestenotic urethral diameter ratio, obtained by combined retrograde and antegrade urethrography, provided a fairly accurate measure of the functional significance of a stricture.

Internal urethrotomy without a catheter: use of a urethral stent

A method is presented that permits prolonged urethral stenting following an internal urethrotomy without the need of an indwelling Foley catheter. During this technique a 22F silicone catheter is inserted into the distended bladder, the balloon is left deflated and the catheter is advanced until the drainage hole is beyond the sphincter and no fluid drains through the catheter. At this point the catheter is cut flush with and sutured to the urethral meatus using 2 nylon sutures. The patient then is continent, able to void through the catheter lumen and has the advantage of a urethral stent without requiring catheter drainage. Of 21 patients 19 had good to excellent results 1 to 4 years after internal urethrotomy. Patient acceptance uniformly has been excellent and enthusiastic.

Otis internal urethrotomy in the treatment of urethral stricture disease

Internal urethrotomy was done on 216 urethral strictures in 192 patients at our medical centers from 1969 to 1978. Of these cases 71 per cent were treated successfully, with a 12 per cent complication rate. Results were analyzed separately for different characteristics of the strictures and for several methods of internal urethrotomy. It is concluded that nearly all types of strictures can be treated by internal urethrotomy, with a reasonable rate of success and a minimum of morbidity.

The role of selective internal urethrotomy in the management of urethral stricture: a multi-centre evaluation

The advent of selective internal urethrotomy under direct vision has enabled precision endoscopic surgery to be undertaken on a wide range of urethral strictures. A multi-centre survey of 197 cases involving 322 urethrotomy procedures from 5 urological departments in England is reported. The overall results after a follow-up of up to 4 years suggest that there is no indication for further procedures currently existing in 160 (81%) of those cases subjected to selective internal urethrotomy. The additional injection of triamcinalone acetate into the strictured area prior to urethrotomy is recommended in resistant cases. The procedure of selective internal urethrotomy is, in our opinion; the best primary method for the treatment of urethral stricture, and it is hoped this will reduce the indications for anastomotic or substitution urethroplasty.

A comparative study of electrosurgical vs. cold urethrotomy in the treatment of urethral strictures

Thirty-one patients with urethral stricture were subjected to internal urethrotomy under visual control. The patients were divided into two groups according to the surgical procedure: electrosurgical or cold resection. A modification of the Sachse knife was introduced in order to permit its use with the American Cystoscope Makers Inc. instruments. The success rate with cold resection was 81.81% and with the electrosurgical procedure 40%. Internal urethrotomy with cold resection is a simple and harmless operation, being a first choice in the treatment of urethral stricture.

The treatment of urethral stricture disease by internal urethrotomy: a clinical review

The results of internal urethrotomy with 6 weeks of postoperative catheter drainage and antimicrobial therapy in the treatment of urethral strictures in 28 patients are presented. Satisfactory results were obtained in 68 per cent of the patients. Because of the simplicity of this technique and the good results obtained we believe that internal urethrotomy often is the best initial approach to strictures that become difficult to manage by periodic dilation.

Endourethral urethroplasty: a simple method for treatment of urethral strictures by internal urethrotomy and primary split skin grafting

Primary endourethral split skin grafting was performed in 4 patients operated upon for stricture of the bulbous urethra by internal urethrotomy. Post-operatively, all grafts were found to have taken. Follow-up has ranged from 4 to 12 months. The results were considered good in all patients and after release from the hospital they had no subjective symptoms. Further urethral dilation has not been necessary in any of the patients.

Transurethral urethrotomy under vision

Transurethral urethrotomy under vision with the Sachse urethrotome is a new surgical procedure for the treatment of urethral strictures. The chief advantage of the urethrotome is the fact that the surgeon can cut strictures selectively and accurately under clear vision. The procedure is less painful than blind internal urethrotomy and less extensive cases can be done in the office with the patient under local anesthesia. We report on 36 cases with at least 6 months of followup. In 20 cases the strictures were distal to the prostate and the results were considered good in 16, improved in 3 and a failure in 1. The other 16 cases involved vesical neck contractures and all patients had good results. The technique for urethral strictures distal to the prostate and for vesical neck contractures is described and postoperative treatment is emphasized and discussed.