Surgical intervention is the only form of treatment for urethral strictures. There are two types of procedures that are mainly performed to get the strictures out. Urethral dilation and urethrotomy. These two procedures have different processes, different success ratios, and different risk factors. While patients generally don’t get a say in what procedure they are prescribed, learning about them can help you understand the risks and discuss with your doctor the procedure that’s best suited for your symptoms. So, let’s learn about the urethral dilation procedure and urethrotomy procedure along with the important side effects and success rates of both these surgeries.

Urethral Dilation

Urethral dilation is one of the most commonly sought-after treatment processes for urethral strictures. It is one of the quickest and easiest treatments you can get for strictures. Dilation as it sounds involves widening your urethra to get rid of the stricture that’s blocking your urine flow. How is that done? Let’s find out.

• Urethral Dilation Procedure

The urethral dilation procedure is performed under local anaesthesia and it can even be performed at a regular doctor’s office. The doctor inserts a rubber or metal medical device inside your body from the tip of your urethra. The purpose of this device is to dilate your urethra and get rid of the stricture. There are different types of dilation and sometimes even balloons are used to dilate the urethra. 

The process is similar with the balloon being inserted into the urethra and then blown up to remove the stricture. Copious amounts of lubricating jelly are used before the instruments are inserted into the urethra to lower the chances of any unwanted post-operative side effects. But, there are a few side effects, what are they? Let’s check it out.

• Urethral Dilation Side Effects

Remember the lubricating jelly that’s used during the procedure? That is used so as to not damage the insides of your urethra. Inserting a foreign object into your urethra can injure its walls. These injuries can form scar tissues and become strictures in the future. So, doctors take extra care to ensure that the procedure is performed carefully so as to not cause any unwanted urethral dilation side effects. Other common post-operative side effects include

• Burning sensation when you urinate
• Soreness in your urethra
• Small amounts of blood in your urine for up to 1-2 days after the procedure

Urethral Dilation Success Rate

Urethral dilation is most successful with smaller strictures. To be precise, strictures that are less than 1 cm in length are treated using this procedure. For strictures longer than that or strictures that are recurring other treatment processes are advised. Urethral dilation is not very successful with strictures larger than that and there the success rate drops. However, with shorter strictures, the urethral dilation success rate is very high. However, patients need to follow proper post-operative care to ensure that the strictures don’t return.

Urethrotomy

Urethrotomy is one of the only definitive treatment options for urethral strictures. No matter the size or location of the stricture, this procedure can treat it and stop it from recurring. It is an aggressive procedure that might even require grafting tissues from other parts of your body. But, it is still relatively safe when you get it from a trustable institution like MASSH. How is the procedure performed? Let’s check it out.

Urethrotomy Procedure

The urethrotomy procedure is performed under general anaesthesia, but the patient can still go home the very same day. The procedure is quite quick and is very effective with all types of strictures. The doctor inserts a camera and surgical tools inside the patient through their urethra. The camera helps the doctor locate the stricture and operate on it. The surgical tools on hand include a scalpel, which is used to cut the scar tissue of the stricture. 

In cases of large strictures, additional tissue is grafted from other parts of your body and grafted there to stop the stricture from recurring. The grafted tissue is most commonly taken from your oral cavity. This procedure takes around 30 minutes and can help you completely treat your condition.

Urethrotomy Side Effects

Urethrotomy is a very effective procedure and if it is done right, the patient should not see any significant urethrotomy side effects after the procedure. Inflammation in and around the urethra and some pain while passing urine is common for a few days after the surgery, but they should go away on their own. In case the surgery did not go well, you can get another stricture in a different part of your urethra. However, this is quite rare, so as long as you follow the post-operative care recommendations of your doctor, you should be fine.

Urethrotomy Success Rate

Urethrotomy has a high success rate when it comes to short-term relief of up to 6 months with as much as 80% success in removing strictures and relieving urological symptoms. However, the odds can crater after a while with the urethrotomy success rate going down and the probability of strictures recurring rising. When a patient crosses the five-year mark after the procedure, the recurrence rate for strictures can shoot up to over 85%. So, the key here is to maintain a healthy lifestyle and make lifestyle changes that help you keep your urological health intact.

Conclusion

Urethral dilation and urethrotomy are both very effective at treating urethral strictures just of different types as you now know. Given the risk of recurrence of this condition, you may need to go through these procedures multiple times based on the severity of your condition. So, you should always choose to get your treatment from the top medical institutions to ensure you can keep the risk of recurrence as low as possible.  And we at MASSH can help you do exactly that. With our specialised team experienced in performing urethrotomy and dilation procedures, you can rest assured that you will get the best possible care at MASSH. Check out our website or visit us today to learn more about our treatment options for urethral strictures.