A prospective randomized study of self-dilatation in the management of urethral strictures.
Over a 3-year period 51 patients with urethral strictures were treated by internal urethrotomy and then either randomly allocated to a course of post-operative dilatation or no dilatation. The patients in the self-intermittent dilatation (SID) group were shown how to pass a 16-F catheter through the stricture but not into the bladder. Complete follow-up was available in 44 patients, 32 of whom had new strictures while 12 had recurrent strictures. Of the patients with new strictures 13 (76%) in the SID group and 12 (80%) in the non-SID group achieved a satisfactory result (a flow rate > 12 ml per second) at one year (chi 2 = 0.18, P = 0.67). In the 12 patients with recurrent strictures 4 (66%) patients in the SID group and 1 (17%) patient in the non-SID group achieved a satisfactory result (chi 2 = 3.09, P = 0.079). In both groups results were not statistically significant. The technique of short-term postoperative self-dilatation does not seem to prevent recurrent strictures in patients treated with internal urethrotomy.
Department of Urology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK.
S S
SS
Matanhelia
R
R
Salaman
A
A
John
P N
PN
Matthews
D004106:Dilatation; D006801:Humans; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D014521:Urethra / Q000601:surgery; D014525:Urethral Stricture / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*