Long-term results of a self-expanding wallstent in the treatment of urethral stricture.
OBJECTIVE
To report the long-term outcome over 12 years of using the urethral Urolume wallstent (AMS, Minnetonka, MI, USA) for treating recurrent bulbar urethral stricture disease.


METHODS
The case-notes of 60 consecutive men with urethral Urolume wallstents placed for treating recurrent bulbar strictures were reviewed retrospectively. Information was collected on patient demographics, stricture aetiology, stent-related complications and the need for further surgery to treat stent- or stricture-related complications.


RESULTS
The mean (range) age of the men was 58 (32-76) years. The most common cause of stricture was iatrogenic, arising after previous endoscopic surgery or after an indwelling catheter (45%). Thirty-five men had complications, with re-operation required in 27 (45%) of them. The most frequent nonsurgical complications were post-micturition dribble (32%) and recurrent urinary tract infections (27%). The most common surgical interventions required were transurethral resection of obstructing stent hyperplasia (32%), urethral dilatation or urethrotomy for stent obstruction or stricture (25%) and endoscopic litholapaxy for stent encrustation or stone (17%).


CONCLUSIONS
The Urolume wallstent should only be used in patients who are unfit for or who refuse a bulbar urethroplasty.
Hussain
Mahreen
M
The Institute of Urology, London, UK. mahreenhussain@hotmail.com
Greenwell
Tamsin J
TJ
Shah
Julian
J
Mundy
Anthony
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014521:Urethra / Q000601:surgery*; D014525:Urethral Stricture / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*