Ureteric strictures can be painful, and their damage to your kidneys can be irreparable. So, given the severity of the condition, ureteric stricture treatment is a must to keep you safe from resulting health risks. Luckily this condition is treatable using both medicinal and surgical options. The type of treatment you are offered is dependent on the severity of your case and the symptoms. However, in most cases, treatment is possible with a timely diagnosis of your condition. 

If you start showing symptoms, visiting a doctor will help you navigate the medical diagnosis process, and then you will be off to get your treatment plan. So, let’s learn more about ureteric stricture treatment processes, including medicine, ureteric stricture laparoscopy surgery, and minimally invasive ureteric stricture surgery.

Ureteric Strictures Treatment Options

After your case is diagnosed, doctors try to determine the location and size of your stricture. It helps them to understand the severity of your case and the future risk it holds in regard to your health. Based on that, initially, medicinal treatment would be offered to see if the condition can be treated without needing surgery. However, if your strictures are in an advanced stage, doctors may immediately prescribe surgery to help you relieve your symptoms. Let’s look at the different treatment options that are offered, along with any risks they might have for your health.

Medicinal Treatment of Ureteric Strictures

Medicines can be an effective way to treat your strictures or at least reduce their severity to the point serious surgical treatment is not required to cut them out. They are effective at helping relieve the symptoms and help you live normally without putting any strain on your health. However, just as with any treatment, there are certain risk factors that are involved. So, let’s look at the medicines commonly used to treat ureteral strictures and then the side effects they might have on your health.

• NSAIDs: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly used to treat ureteric strictures. These drugs are used to treat the pain and the discomfort the strictures cause due to the stop in the flow of urine. The blockage can cause severe pain in the lower back, which is treated using these medicines. They are very effective at helping reduce the pain. However, if your pain doesn’t subside, it can indicate a worsening condition, and you should see a doctor immediately.
   
• Anticholinergics: These medicines are used to treat the urinary urgency and frequency of the patients. They suppress the neurological signals to your brain that tell you the urgency of your need to urinate. These medicines have certain adverse side effects on your health, which need to be understood before you start your treatment process.

Risks of Medicinal Treatment of Ureteric Strictures

The two types of medications used in treating ureteric strictures have some side effects. While they are not very serious, you need to speak to your doctor regarding these side effects to ensure you are on your path to safe recovery from the strictures. Here are the side effects you need to check out.

• Urinary retention where patients are unable to hold their urine
• Headaches
• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth
• Constipation or obstipation
• Sore throat

These are some of the most common side effects that can result from the ureteric strictures. Additionally, these medicines can react with other medicines or conditions you have, so doctors will take a thorough look through your medical history before prescribing them to you. Other than that, anticholinergics can also harm your body significantly if you are taking them for a long time. The accumulation of these medicines inside your body can cause anticholinergic syndrome, which can be life-threatening. So, be sure to discuss your doubts with the doctors before starting your treatment plan.

Surgical Treatment for Ureteric Strictures

Surgery is one of the best ways to get complete treatment of your ureteric strictures. However, even with surgeries, they can be a temporary solution rather than a permanent one. There are different types of surgeries that are performed to treat ureteric strictures. The procedures are chosen based on the severity of your stricture and its location. Some of these procedures are more complex than others, so make sure you get them from experienced institutions like MASSH.

• Balloon Dilation: Balloon dilation is one of the easiest and primary procedures used to treat ureteric strictures. The procedure involves inserting a balloon in your urethra and navigating it into your ureter to where the stricture is. From there, the balloon is inflated to clear the stricture and ensure the ureter is cleared for regular passage of urine.  Balloon dilation is effective in treating strictures less than a centimeter in length. With larger strictures, this procedure is not very helpful as it could increase your risk of recurrence. Balloon dilation is a great way, however, to treat smaller strictures. Other procedures are sometimes used together with balloon dilation to ensure the strictures are treated permanently.
   
• Stent Placement: Stents are a great way to stop your ureter from blockage. They are mesh tunnels made from biocompatible materials that are used to keep the ureter open. These stents are not permanent, and they need to be removed from your body after a certain period. While they are inside you, they stop your ureter from narrowing in that specific location. The stent is to be placed in inserted in your body through the urethra, and it is placed over the stricture to stop it from collapsing. This procedure has its own risks, but the stent can be a great temporary solution to ureteric strictures. The solution is only temporary because once the stent is removed, and it has to be removed, the strictures can reoccur.
   
• Ureterorenoscopy: Ureterorenoscopy is a procedure suited explicitly for ureteric strictures. This procedure cuts or melts the stricture out with the help of small surgical tools that are inserted into your body through your urethra and sent to your ureter through your bladder. Using a laser or a scalpel, the stricture is dissolved or cut out to ensure a clear urine flow from your ureter. Compared to other procedures, ureterorenoscopy has a better success rate with all types of strictures and can even be a permanent solution to them. 
  
  There are certain risk factors with this procedure, including the probability of stricture recurrence. However, if the procedure is performed by experienced doctors, the risk can be mitigated. This procedure is performed under general anesthesia, and patients can be discharged on the same day itself. However, in some cases, doctors can advise the patients to stay the night at the hospital to monitor their recovery.
  
  The steps to recovery following the procedure also require patients to follow the post-operative care instructions very thoroughly. These instructions help reduce the risk of ureteric strictures recurring, and it also keeps you safe from the risk of infections or UTIs, which can be a common postoperative risk.
   
• Percutaneous Ureterorenoplasty (PCN): PCN is different from ureterorenoscopy in the way that it doesn’t involve inserting surgical tools through your urethra. The procedure involves making incisions in your skin to access your ureter from the outside. This procedure is performed under general anesthesia, and it is one of the best ways to treat ureteral strictures. The procedure is highly successful in treating strictures of all sizes. Since the incisions are made in your skin, allowing for minimal access into your urinary tract, the risk of strictures can be contained to a certain degree.
  
  Once the incisions are made in your skin, the stricture is accessed, and it is either cut out or dissolved using surgical tools or a laser. This procedure has a very low risk of damaging any part of your urinary tract because the laser used is very targeted and does not damage the surrounding tissues. Just like with ureterorenoscopy, post-operative care is crucial in helping you reduce the risk of recurrence and UTIs. However, if you follow all the instructions properly and visit your doctor regularly after the procedure to monitor your recovery, PCN can be a permanent solution to your ureteral strictures.

Conclusion

Ureteric stricture can be treated with vigilant monitoring of the symptoms from your end and an early diagnosis. Though this condition can reoccur, if you get your treatment from experienced institutions like MASSH, you will be able to mitigate the risks to a great extent. At MASSH, we specialize in minimally invasive treatment processes for all types of ureteric stricture. We are experienced in handling strictures and can help you get the required treatment without the risk of recurrence or other conditions. If you are exhibiting any symptoms of ureteric strictures, check our website and book an appointment with us today. We can offer you the needed help and help you from suffering in silence.