Restoring Function and Comfort
Urethral strictures happen when there is a narrowing or blockage in the urethra, the tube through which urine flows from the bladder. Strictures are scar tissue that has developed due to infection or injury to the tissue (such as traumatic injuries or radiation therapy). If you have a urethral stricture, you may be experiencing a slow urine stream, difficulty emptying your bladder, frequent urinating at night, urinary tract infections, and an increase in the frequency of urination during the day.
Urethral strictures most often develop in older men and are rare in women. NewYork-Presbyterian Queens is the only hospital in Queens that offers urethral reconstruction surgery to treat strictures that persist despite other treatments.
Diagnosing Urethral Stricture
The urologist will perform a cystoscopy to see if you have a stricture. With this test, the doctor inserts a narrow camera into your urethra and your bladder. The cystoscope shows any strictures that are present. Your doctor will also order several tests to assess bladder emptying and the strength of your urine stream. We offer retrograde urethrogram, a specialized X-ray that helps us determine the length, location, and number of strictures in your urethra.
Treatment of Urethral Stricture
The first line of treatment for urethral strictures may include catheterization to drain urine from your bladder and dilation to widen the narrowed areas of the urethra. During dilation, your urologist inserts a narrow device into the urethra to gradually enlarge the size of the urethral opening, enabling urine to pass through more freely.
Expertise in urethral reconstruction
You may need reconstructive surgery if dilation does not work well enough to resolve urethral strictures. This is an area of expertise for NewYork-Presbyterian Queens. The procedure generally takes two to three hours. More than 90 percent of people with this treatment return to normal urination, do not need additional procedures, and report great satisfaction.
Here's how it works:
- You will be admitted to the hospital and be placed under anesthesia.
- Depending on the location of the stricture(s), the urologist makes a tiny incision either in the perineum (the bridge of skin between the scrotum and anus) or on the penis directly above a stricture.
- The section of the urethra containing the stricture is surgically removed.
- The surgeon either reattaches the remaining ends of the urethra or inserts a graft (replacement tissue) created from tissue from the inside of your cheek.
- You will stay in the hospital overnight and have a catheter inserted in your urethra to urinate. You can expect to have the catheter from 10 days to 3 weeks. Your doctor will give you instructions about when you can return to work and sexual activity.
Why Choose Us
Urethral strictures can cause great discomfort and impair your quality of life. The urology team at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens takes a gentle approach with each patient. We know you may have already endured other treatments—some of them painful—and we consider your concerns and preferences when designing a treatment plan. Our goal is to restore your comfort and function so you can return to doing what you enjoy. Give us a call today to make an appointment.