Urethroplasty

Urethroplasty is the most effective method to manage urethral stricture. Skilled and experienced AHN surgeons regularly perform this procedure to provide relief for patients struggling to urinate.

What is urethroplasty?

Urethroplasty is generally considered the gold standard in the treatment of urethral stricture — a narrowing or even blockage of urine flow caused by scar tissue in the urethra. There are a number of urethroplasty procedures. Some remove and replace the damaged urethral tissue with a graft. Others repair and resew the existing urethral tissue. 

Types of urethroplasty

• Anastomotic urethroplasty: This is performed for short strictures. An incision is made in the space between the scrotum and anus. The scar tissue is removed from the urethra, and the urethra is sewn back together. The procedure may require an overnight hospital stay with a drain in place, which is generally removed in the morning. A urinary catheter is left in place for a few weeks to promote healing. The catheter is removed in the office.
• Urethroplasty with buccal mucosal graft: This is performed for longer urethral strictures. An incision is made between your scrotum and anus. The scar tissue causing your blockage will be opened up and removed as appropriate. A graft will be taken from the inside of your mouth or cheek (buccal mucosa) to form a new urethra in the damaged area. You may stay in the hospital overnight with a drain in place that’s removed in the morning. A urinary catheter will be left in place for a few weeks to aid the healing process.
• Staged urethroplasty: This is used when a stricture requires more than one procedure to fix. Each procedure is a “stage” on the way to completing your treatment.
  • Stage 1. An incision will be made on the underside of your penis (the ventral surface) and an opening is made before the stricture. This will allow urine a way to flow freely. During this procedure, the stricture beyond the opening will then be opened, and the scar tissue will be removed as appropriate. A graft will be taken from the inside of your mouth or cheek (buccal mucosa) and used to replace the previous scar tissue. A bolster dressing is left in place to allow the graft to heal. Patients often go home right after this procedure, but sometimes an overnight stay for observation is warranted.
  • The catheter and dressing will be removed at your doctor’s office about 2 weeks later. During that appointment, you’ll learn how to care for your penis while it heals, including dressing changes and daily stretching exercises. In the time leading up to the next procedure, you can urinate freely from the opening that was created, but since the opening is not at the tip of the penis, you may need to sit to urinate.
  • Stage 2. This is usually performed about 3 months after the first procedure. Your graft will be formed into a tube so the opening is near the tip of the penis and you can urinate more normally. A catheter is usually left in place to help with healing. This is removed a few weeks after the surgery. You typically can go home the same day after this surgery, but on occasion may spend the night for observation.

Contact us

Call (412) DOCTORS (412) 362-8677 or, request an appointment to learn more about urethroplasty.