Urethral stricture

Changes in the structure and morphology of the urinary organs can lead to serious complications. Initially, they impair quality of life, but over time they become the cause of significant problems and prolonged treatment. One such condition is urethral stricture — a pathology characterized by abnormal growth of healthy tissues. As a result of this process, the mucous membrane of the urinary canal and other tissues are replaced with scar tissue.

This pathological process leads to urinary dysfunction and the inability to properly expel urine from the body, which in turn causes secondary diseases with poor prognosis.

Urethral stricture treatment is carried out by urologists at our medical center “New Life”. We are equipped with modern devices for highly accurate diagnostic procedures, certified therapeutic methods, and advanced medical technologies. Most importantly, our urologists have extensive experience, high qualifications, and scientific achievements in this field of medicine.

This condition is quite common, predominantly in men. Women suffer from it much less often due to anatomical differences in the reproductive system. Up to 1.0-1.2% of all men aged 35-49 experience symptoms or consequences of this pathology.

Urethral stricture leads to the narrowing of the urethra in men, which gradually reduces the intensity of urine flow. As a result, stagnation occurs, accompanied by the secretion of salts into surrounding tissues, lymph, and blood.

The consequences of this process include not only physical discomfort and emotional stress, but also more serious issues, such as:

• Formation of fistulas between the canal and surrounding tissues
• Development of kidney failure
• Decreased erectile function
• Periurethral abscess
• Inflammation of the prostate
• Progression of urolithiasis
• Urinary retention in both acute and chronic forms

When the urethra narrows, pathogenic microorganisms intensively develop, spreading and causing inflammation in the urinary and reproductive organs.

In later stages, complex complications may arise that are difficult to treat and often lead to irreversible consequences, such as orchiepididymitis, hydronephrosis, hematuria, or other infectious-inflammatory diseases in the bladder and kidneys.

This condition has many variations and can present in different forms: chronic, acute, and subacute. Urethral narrowing is classified according to the degree of reduction in its lumen:

• Mild — narrowing up to 50% of the lumen
• Moderate — narrowing by 50-75%
• Severe — narrowing by more than 75%

Scarring can take different forms: minimal, moderate, and complete spongiofibrosis, which characterizes the process of scar tissue formation in the urethra passing through the cavernous body of the penis.

The urologist’s task during the examination is to identify the causes of the symptoms and establish a diagnosis. For this purpose, clinical signs such as frequent urination, the presence of blood and mucus in the urine, urinary retention, pain in the penis area, and a feeling of incomplete bladder emptying are used.

Our clinic “New Life” uses modern diagnostic methods to detect urethral stricture, including:

• Cystourethrography
• Uroflowmetry
• Palpation
• PCR tests
• Computer tomography
• Ultrasound examination
• Radiofrequency diagnosis
• MRI and other methods

Laboratory studies include blood and urine tests, as well as swabs or samples from the urethra if necessary.

The main causes of urethral stricture development can be divided into three categories:

1. Consequences of infections of the genital organs, which may occur due to sexual contact, frequent colds, or hypothermia of the pelvic organs.
2. Injuries that may happen during sports, at work, or in other situations.
3. Rarely, these can result from medication treatments, chemotherapy, or radiation exposure. They may also be caused by frequent endoscopic examinations, insufficient hygiene, bladder catheterization, and other external factors.