Urethral strictures have symptoms similar to some other urological conditions, especially in men. The symptoms of BPH, prostate cancer, and urethral strictures align significantly, which can cause immense psychological pressure on the patient experiencing the symptoms. While two of those conditions are non-fatal directly at least, one of them can be, and the odds can be difficult to deal with by themselves. Even if the diagnosis reveals the patient is safe from cancer, and has urethral stricture, the psychological impact of urethral stricture doesn’t end. Stricture treatment can impact the sexual health of men, especially urethroplasty. What is the effect of urethroplasty on anxiety and depression? Let’s find out.

Emotional & Psychological Impact of Urethral Stricture

Losing control over your urinary system is not a good thing. Patients often feel humiliating and have anxiety regarding their bathroom schedule. If the symptoms get out of control, it could lead to having trouble holding urine, leaking, and accidental wetting. These symptoms affect most people psychologically because it involves losing control over one of your basic needs in life. Apart from that, urethral strictures can cause other emotional stress too because of the other urological conditions that make you susceptible to having strictures.

If you are going through these symptoms and are feeling stressed out about your symptoms or bathroom schedule. It would help for you to talk to somebody and discuss your condition with them. You can also get medical help from your doctors or psychologists if you feel your symptoms are getting out of control. One thing you should take solace in is that with medical treatment, these symptoms are temporary and they won’t be able to bother you further after a short span.

Effect of Urethroplasty on Anxiety & Depression

Urethroplasty is one of the most potent treatment options for urethral strictures. This procedure can help you get rid of urethral strictures once and for all. However, for men, it can have some unintended side effects. This surgical procedure is aggressive and requires cutting out a part of the urethra if required to get the stricture out of your system. However, this can lead to complications like penile curvature or shortening.

The size of the penis is something that is a cause of major anxiety and concern for men. Having this procedure and ending up with the unintended side effect can have a considerable effect on their mental health. Going through symptoms of depression or anxiety in such cases is not unusual. As this is an irreparable change, the patient needs to accept their new reality and it is often not possible to do without medical help. If you are going through such symptoms, you need to get medical help to understand your condition better. It will also help you cope with your situation and help you recover from any symptoms of depression.

Other than penile shortening, which is rare, another unintended side effect of urethroplasty is erectile dysfunction, which is a much more common problem. Post-surgery if you are experiencing difficulty getting an erection or experiencing lower libido than usual, you should speak to your doctor. Erectile dysfunction is treatable in most cases when diagnosed early and that too within just a few months.

So, if you are experiencing anxiety or symptoms of depression regarding your ED, you should talk to a medical professional and get the help you need. It will help you cope and stay strong while your condition is being treated. However, even more than a medical professional, you should speak candidly with your partner and let them know what you are going through.

Conclusion

Urethral strictures much like other urological conditions have unintended effects that can affect the mental health of the patient. In times like these, it is important to focus your energy on getting the best treatment possible and treating your condition with an early diagnosis. And for the best treatment, you should visit MASSH. We specialise in treating all types of urological conditions for men and women. Our specialised microsurgeries are effective at treating your condition without putting you at risk for others. For more information check out our website or visit us today.