Clean intermittent catheterization with triamcinolone ointment following internal urethrotomy

ABSTRACT

Our aim was to evaluate clean intermittent catheterization [CIC] results in combination with triamcinolone ointment for lubrication of the catheter after internal urethrotomy. Seventy patients who underwent internal urethrotomy were assigned into 2 groups and performed CIC with either triamcinolone 1% ointment or a water-based gel [control] for lubrication of the catheter. They continued CIC regimen up to 6 month and were followed up for 12 months. Retrograde urethrography and urethrocystoscopy were done 6 and 12 months postoperatively. In case of obstructive symptoms or any difficulty in passing the urethral catheter, internal urethrotomy would be performed, if needed, and the same follow-up protocol would be started again. The recurrence rates after the first and second urethrotomy attempts were compared between the two groups. Thirty patients in the triamcinolone group and 34 in the control group completed the study. There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics of the patients or the etiology of the stricture between the two groups. There was a 30.0% recurrence rate in the patients of the triamcinolone group versus 44.1% in those of the control group after the first internal urethrotomy [P = .24]. Following the second internal urethrotomy, the urethra was stabilized in 88.9% of the patients in the triamcinolone group and 60.0% those in the control group [P = .15]. Administration of triamcinolone ointment in patients on CIC regimen after internal urethrotomy only slightly decreased the stricture recurrence rate, and its possible effects should be more investigated