Symptoms
- Progressively weak and thin stream
- Straining and spraying
- Incomplete emptying and dribbling
- Recurrent urinary infection
- Complete inability to pass urine
Causes and risk factors
- Pelvic or straddle injury
- Traumatic or prolonged catheterisation
- Infection such as urethritis
- Previous endoscopic surgery
- Lichen sclerosus
Diagnosis
- Uroflowmetry showing a flat plateau curve
- Retrograde urethrogram and MCU
- Cystoscopy and calibration
- Ultrasound for residual urine
Treatment
- Dilatation or optical internal urethrotomy for short first-time strictures
- Anastomotic urethroplasty
- Buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty for long strictures
- Suprapubic catheter as a temporary measure
Prevention
- Avoid unnecessary catheterisation
- Treat urinary infections properly
- Seek prompt care after pelvic injury
Recovery
After urethroplasty the catheter stays two to three weeks, confirmed by an X-ray before removal. Most patients return to work in three to four weeks.
Information on this website is for patient education only and does not replace an in-person consultation. Treatment results vary between individuals and no outcome is guaranteed.