title: Reconstruction of urethral strictures in patients with a long history of blind urethral dilatation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare urethral reconstructions in patients after several years with or without blind urethral dilatation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study of 107 patients with urethral reconstructions was performed. Sixty patients with a long history of blind urethral dilatation (group 1) were compared with 47 patients without prior dilatations (group 2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The type of surgery planned according to urethrography and endoscopy findings was appropriate in 37/60 (61.6%) patients in group 1 and in 39/47 (83%) patients in group 2(P < .03). Anastomotic repairs were more frequent among the patients in group 2 (P < .001).Eighty five out of 107 patients were available for the 24 months follow-up. The success rate was higher in group 2 (91.4%) than patients in group 1 (70%) (P < .04). The greatest improvement in symptoms and quality of life occurred three months after the surgery (P < .05).Postoperative infection was persistent in 20/107 (18.7%) patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Urethral strictures with a long history of blind dilatation are separate entity.They are more difficult to image, require more augmentation and staged procedures and have a lower success rate.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ignjatovic
authors.forename: Ivica
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stojkovic
authors.forename: Dragoslav
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Basic
authors.forename: Jablan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stankovic
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Potic
authors.forename: Ljubomir
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dinic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects; D004106:Dilatation / Q000379:methods*; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014525:Urethral Stricture / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult