Urethroplasty

[cnu0]

Not so much of a question as just putting it out there to see if anyone can give me feedback or insight. I am a 41 y.o. male that has been living with a urethral stricture since 1986. The damage was done by an incorrect catheter placement (not proven, but I had no other symptoms before the cath.). In 1992 an incision was made in the scar tissue to try to open up the stricture that was seen in a scope. This had some success but only for the short term. This past year I have had recurring UTIs and figured it was time to see a urologist again. This time it was more comprehensive - retrograde urethrogram, uraflow, ultrasound, etc. I was referred to a see a doctor in Burlington, MA. that does urethroplasty procedures at a more regular rate (2-3 per week).

I am scheduled for surgery on July 5th. I am equally nervous and excited to finally get this problem taken care of. I am not looking forward to the cath. being there again as that was what caused the problem in the first place. I would love to hear from other men who have had this procedure done so I know what is coming at me.

I plan to visit here again to give my follow up when it is done for anyone that can use it as I have used much of the comments to learn from.

Thanks.

[cnu0]

Thank you. Surgery complete. Recovering now.

[cnu0]

Done! Just had my surgery on July 5, 2013 at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA. Dr. Vanni is my doctor. I can't enough great things about the Lahey Clinic and Dr. Vanni and his team. I am about 48 hours away from my surgery.

I had a 9cm stricture which the graft material was taken from the left side of my inner mouth. Dr. Vanni said that I had a "big mouth" that was perfect to take that much from. It has been healing every day since the surgery. He went with the left side because I told him about a ridge that I could feel on the inner right side of my cheek that may have been a concern. I am glad that I did this and I am glad that he took the skin from this one side. It has made eating easier, yogurt and a whey shake so far today.
I am trying to be up as much as possible. The foley catheter emptying makes this happen often. I am drink fluids constantly.
Have not tried the stairs yet. Slept on the couch last night. May give them a shot today when the VNA comes.
I am hoping to keep posting info here as the stuff that I found online to be helpful with my learning of this disease. Hope that if you are reading this, you found information that will help you too.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!
First of all, all the best for your surgery and hope you recover well. Yes, though cannot be proved, a catheter can cause infection and inflammation and cause strictures. You could discuss this with your surgeon before surgery and see whether a thinner tube or one less likely to cause irritation is used. Also, antibiotic cover may help reduce chances of infection. You may be given some ointment to use locally along with scrotal support and support for catheters. These supports are very essential to avoid inflammation due to repeated injury. Hope this helps. Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.