Experimental study with modified gianturco expandable stent in the dog urethra

ABSTRACT

Benign prostatic hyperplasia and urethral stricture are common causes of urethral obstruction over 50 years of age. To evaluate the usefulness of the Gianturco expandable stent for dilatation of the urethra, 14 single stents were placed in the posterior urethra (2 in prostatic urethra, 12 in membranous urethra), 20 in the anterior urethra. And 4 six-eight connected stents ere positioned in the posterior urethra to straddle at the internal sphincter or external sphincter and followed up for 2 weeks (one dog), 1 month (two dog), 2 months (one dog), 3 months (one dog), 5 months (one dog), 9 months (three dogs), and 14 months (two dogs). Seven of 18 stents in the posterior urethra and 5 to 20 in the anterior urethra were migrated during the follow-up. By 2 weeks after placement. 100% expansion was achieved in the posterior urethra, but by 1 month in the anterior urethra. Partial or complete epithelial covering of the stents was observed 1 month after stent placement in the anterior urethra, but mucosal folds were observed in the anterior and posterior urethra. Urinary incontinence was not observed in all cases. Our experience suggests that Gianturco expandable stent can be used in dilating and maintaining the lumen of the prostatic urethra and urethral stricture.