title: Can bipolar vaporization be considered an alternative energy source in the endoscopic treatment of urethral strictures and bladder neck contracture?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the outcome of bipolar energy by using PlasmaKinetic(TM) cystoscope instruments in the treatment of urethral stricture and bladder neck contracture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two male patients with urethral stricture and five with bladder neck contracture were treated by endoscopic bipolar vaporization. The most common etiology for stricture formation was iatrogenic (85.2%) and the mean stricture length was 12.2 mm. All patients were evaluated with urethrography and uroflowmetry one month and 3 months after surgery. Urethroscopy was routinely performed at the end of the first year. Preoperative mean maximum flow rate (Q max) was 4.9 mL/s for urethral stricture and mean Q max was 3.4 mL/s for bladder neck contracture. The results were considered as "successful" in patients where re-stenosis was not identified with both urethrography and urethroscopy. Minimum follow-up was 13.8 months (range 12 to 20).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tissue removal was rapid, bleeding was negligible and excellent visualization was maintained throughout the vaporization of the fibrotic tissue. Postoperative mean Q max was 14.9 mL/s and the success rate was 77.3% for urethral stricture at mean follow-up time of 14.2 months. The success rate was 60% with a mean follow-up time of 12.2 months for bladder neck contracture and the mean Q max was 16.2 mL/s, postoperatively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study suggests that bipolar vaporization is a safe, inexpensive and reliable procedure with good results, minimal surgical morbidity, negligible blood loss, and thus, it could be considered as a new therapeutic option for the endoscopic treatment of urethral stricture and bladder neck contracture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, S.B. Istanbul Goztepe Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erem K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Basok
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Basaran
authors.forename: Cenk
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gurbuz
authors.forename: Asif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Resit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tokuc
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003558:Cystoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D004598:Electrosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014525:Urethral Stricture / Q000601:surgery*; D001748:Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction / Q000601:surgery*