Management of panurethral strictures

Abstract

Introduction: Pan-urethral stricture, involving the penile and bulbar urethra, is a common urological problem on the South Asian subcontinent. It represents a particularly difficult challenge to manage and there is a relative paucity of literature on the subject. In India, Lichen Sclerosus (LS) is the most common cause of panurethral stricture, followed by iatrogenic causes.2 stage surgery is not scientific in lichen sclerosus as this is a disease of genital skin. We present our experience of pan-urethral stricture repair using a single stage, one-sided dissection, dorsal onlay repair with oral mucosa graft.

Subjects and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 318 consecutive men undergoing management of pan-urethral stricture from June 1995 to December 2014. The median age was 44.6 years and the mean stricture length 14 cm. The median follow-up was 59 months. The strictures were approached through a perineal incision, limiting dissection to only one side of the urethra. The penis was invaginated to provide access to the entire length of anterior urethra in a single-stage, and two oral mucosal grafts were dorsally placed.

Results: The outcome was considered a success if the patient needed no further instrumentation, including dilation or urethrotomy. The overall success rate was 84.90%, with a success rate of 89.39% in primary urethroplasty, and 57.85% in patients who had previous failed urethroplasty. Most recurrent strictures occurred at the proximal end of the graft.

Conclusions: Repair of pan-urethral stricture in a single-stage, with one-sided dissection and dorsal onlay of oral mucosa, is a minimally invasive technique that is simple, fast, safe, effective and reproducible in the hand of any surgeon.

Keywords: Urethra; Pan-urethral; Full-length; Stricture; One-stage; Complex