What is urethra stenosis?

Urethral stenosis (sometimes called urethral stricture) is a narrowing of the urethra. A part of your urinary system, the urethra is the tube that urine passes through to leave the body when you urinate.

How do you treat a urethral stricture?

Most of the time, it is a permanent cure. We perform a urethroplasty by removing the part of the urethra with the stricture and scar tissue. If it is a long stricture, we may also add new tissue, such as a graft from the mouth (a buccal mucosal graft) or a flap of skin to help reshape urethra.

What causes stenosis of the urethra?

Trauma or injury to the urethra or pelvis. An enlarged prostate or previous surgery to remove or reduce an enlarged prostate gland. Cancer of the urethra or prostate. Sexually transmitted infections.

How do you treat a urethral stricture at home?

Pygeum is an herbal tree extract long used in folk medicine to promote bladder health and may aid in alleviating some of the pain or inflammation related to urethral stricture. Clematis is a homeopathic treatment that may relieve some of the symptoms associated with urethral strictures.

How is urethral stenosis diagnosed?

There are several tests to determine if you have a urethral stricture including:

physical exam.
urethral imaging (X-rays or ultrasound)
urethroscopy (to see the inside of the urethra)
retrograde urethrogram.

Can CT scan detect urethral stricture?

Computed tomography (CT) urethrography has the advantage of examining patients only in one position, and by generating three-dimensional images; it can accurately measure the stricture length.

Is urethral stricture serious?

If left untreated, a urethral stricture can cause serious problems, including bladder and kidney damage, infections caused by the obstruction of urine flow, and poor ejaculation and infertility in men.

Can urethral stricture be treated without surgery?

If you have a severe stricture and choose not to have surgery, you may opt for a permanent artificial tube (stent) to keep the urethra open, or a permanent catheter to drain the bladder.

Can I live with urethral stricture?

How can I widen my urethra?

Local anesthesia is required with dilation, during which a doctor often uses rubber or metal instruments to stretch and widen the urethra. At NYU Langone, however, doctors perform this procedure using a balloon catheter, which is inserted into the urethra and slowly inflated in order to widen the stricture.

Can a damaged urethra be fixed?

Depending on the exact location and the extent of damage, the urethra will be repaired by either replacing the tissue with tissue from another part of the body, or by taking out the damaged portion of the urethra and then reconnecting the urethral tube.

What is the procedure to stretch the urethra?

Urethral dilation is a medical procedure in which the urethra is gently stretched with a rubber or metal tube.

What is urethra surgery?

Urethral Surgery is an umbrella term for surgical procedures involving the urethra (a tube in the body that allows fluid to leave the bladder).

What is a dilated urethra?

Dilation of the urethra is a procedure used in treatment of an urethral stricture, the condition marked by narrowing of the urethral tube.