[Treatment of urethral strictures by endoscopic internal urethrotomy: anatomical and functional results in a series of 244 cases]

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the results of a homogeneous series of urethral strictures treated exclusively by endoscopic internal urethrotomy and to determine the factors that may predict the outcome. Between 1989 and 2007, 244 patients were treated for urethral stricture. All of them were subjected to endoscopic direct vision internal urethrotomy [DVIU]. 34.3% of good results were achieved after the first DVIU. Mean follow-up was 3.5 years. No mortality was encountered, while the rate of morbidity was.5%. Better results were achieved in patients with short [<2 cm] and single strictures in the proximal urethra. Mean post-operative catheterization was 2 days; a further extension of the catheterization time did not yield any significant improvement. Unsatisfactory results [65.5%] were found in patients with large urethral strictures located in the distal urethra or in elderly patients. 62.5% of the patients showed a satisfactory outcome after a second urethrotomy, while the other patients required urethral dilatation or urethroplasty. DVIU is a simple procedure which does not have a high rate of morbidity and requires short hospitalization. With a steady success rate of around 75.4% after a follow-up of 3.5 years we feel that DVIU can be recommended as treatment of choice for all short, single and proximal urethral strictures, preferably in young patients without previous interventions on the urethra