- Dilation. Your doctor will use a local anesthetic to numb the area prior to the procedure. Your doctor will gradually widen the stricture with a series of dilators called sounds. ...
- Urethrotomy. Your doctor will guide a special scope, called a cystoscope, up your urethra until they reach the stricture. ...
- Open Surgery / Urethra Reconstruction. The two main types of surgery to treat urethral stricture are anastomotic urethroplasty and substitution urethroplasty. Anastomotic urethroplasty is typically used to treat short strictures. ...
What is the treatment for urethral trauma?
The treatment for urethral trauma depends on where and how bad the injury is. Many cases of anterior urethral injury need to be fixed right away with surgery. Minor of these injuries can be treated with a catheter through the urethra into the bladder.
Is it possible to fix a torn urethra?
It's also easier to fix the urethra after swelling in the tissues from a pelvic injury has gone down. Most posterior urethral injuries need an operation to connect the 2 torn edges of the urethra. This is most often done through a cut in the perineum.
How do you fix a narrow urethra?
Placement of catheters or instruments into the urethra during surgery or procedures. The scar tissue causes the urethra to become narrow, making it more difficult for urine to flow. Sometimes, the inflammation or injury to the urethra happens long before the stricture becomes noticeable.
When to see a doctor for urethral injury?
For females, urethral injuries can also be caused by sexual assault. If you have blood at the end of the penis or in the urine or can’t pass urine after an injury to the urethral area, you should see a health care provider right away.
How is a torn urethra treated?
Treatment of Urethral Injuries For urethral tears, the urine should be diverted from the urethra using a catheter placed directly into the bladder through the skin over the lower abdomen. The urethra is repaired surgically after all other injuries have healed or after 8 to 12 weeks (when inflammation has resolved).
Can a torn urethra be repaired?
Depending on the exact location and the extent of damage, the urethra will be repaired by either replacing the tissue with tissue from another part of the body, or by taking out the damaged portion of the urethra and then reconnecting the urethral tube.
What happens if your urethra is torn?
If the urethra is injured, a person may develop urethra obstructions or strictures. Urethral strictures occur when the urethra is injured or scarred by an infection and then narrows. As a result, problems with the normal passage of urine and semen can develop.
How long does a torn urethra take to heal?
This takes 3 to 6 months.
Can a man tear his urethra?
The urethra passes through the entire penis. It can be injured by a kick to the groin or a straddle injury. The urethra can be bruised or torn. The main symptoms are bloody urine and trouble passing urine.
How long does urethra surgery take?
Urethroplasty is a surgery where the urethra is reconstructed to cure problems like urethral strictures. The types of surgeries are varied and depend upon the location, cause, and length of the stricture. Most surgeries take between three to six hours to complete.
How does a man tear his urethra?
Rupture of the urethra is an uncommon result of penile injury, incorrect catheter insertion, straddle injury, or pelvic girdle fracture. The urethra, the muscular tube that allows for urination, may be damaged by trauma. When urethral rupture occurs, urine may extravasate (escape) into the surrounding tissues.
Is the surgical repair of the urethra?
Urethroplasty is a surgical procedure to correct narrowing or damage to the urethra from scarring.
Which part of the male urethra is most vulnerable to damage?
In men, the external portion is also susceptible to direct trauma from bone fragments arising from the pubic rami. The distal membranous urethra is especially at risk, and its injury may disrupt the active continence mechanism. The most common injury by far is that of the posterior urethra.
What Is A Urethral Stricture?
Urethral stricture is a narrowing of the urethra. The urethra is the canal that carries urine from the bladder through the penis and out the urethr...
What Causes Urethral Stricture?
The most common cause appears to be chronic inflammation or the development of scar tissue. Scar tissue can gradually form from: 1. An injury to th...
What Problems Does Urethral Stricture Cause?
Many men with a stricture will have increasing discomfort that comes from difficulty in urinating and the holding of urine. In others, the problem...
What Are The Symptoms of Urethral Stricture?
The most obvious sign of urethral stricture is a weakened urinary system. This is noted by some of these symptoms: 1. Straining to urinate. 2. Pain...
What is the procedure to detect urethral stricture?
If a urethral stricture is suspected, an imaging procedure will be needed to identify and measure it. One procedure is a retrograde urethrogram. This is an X-ray procedure that uses a contrast agent that is squirted into the opening of the penis. The contrast shows up on an X-ray film to locate the stricture and its length.
What is internal urethrotomy?
Internal urethrotomy. Urethral reconstruction. With a short stricture, urethral dilatation or internal urethrotomy may be tried first. Under general anesthesia, the urethra is widened using a series of gradually larger dilating instruments and a cystoscope.
What is a stricture in the urethra?
What is a urethral stricture? Urethral stricture is a narrowing of the urethra. Your urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder through the penis and out the urethral meatus (the opening at the tip of the penis) during urination. Many men with a stricture will have increasing discomfort with urinating and a slowing ...
What is the tube that carries urine out of the body called?
The urethra is the tube that carries urine out of the body. This tube can become narrow and cause difficulty and discomfort when a man urinates. This condition is called urethral stricture. In some cases, a urethral stricture may need immediate medical attention.
Why does my urethra narrow?
The scar tissue causes the urethra to become narrow, making it more difficult for urine to flow. Sometimes, the inflammation or injury to the urethra happens long before the stricture becomes noticeable. In other cases, the stricture happens soon after a urethral injury.
How long does a urethra catheter stay in the urethra?
After the procedure, a urethral catheter is usually left in the urethra for three to five days. The most common problem of dilation or urethrotomy is the return of the stricture, but in some cases this procedure may correct the issue.
How long does it take to get a cystoscope in the bladder?
This procedure allows your doctor to see inside the urethra. It is done in the doctor’s office and it typically takes five to 10 minutes. Before the procedure, lidocaine jelly (a numbing medication) will be inserted into your urethra, allowing the doctor to pass the cystoscope into your bladder with less discomfort.
What happens if you have a urethra injury?
Urethral Injuries. If the urethra is injured, a person may develop urethra obstructions or strictures. Urethral strictures occur when the urethra is injured or scarred by an infection and then narrows. As a result, problems with the normal passage of urine and semen can develop.
What is posterior urethral trauma?
Posterior urethral trauma affects the part of the urethra that travels inside the body. This type of trauma almost always occurs as a result of pelvic fractures following automobile accidents, serious falls or industrial crash injuries.
What are the long term consequences of urethral injury?
Urethral injuries can have devastating long-term consequences, such as potential complications of impotence, stricture and incontinence. Injuries may affect either the anterior or posterior part of the urethra.
What is UCSF urethra?
UCSF is a national leader in urological care, including treatment for injuries to the kidneys, bladder, genitals, ureters (the tubes that carry urine from each kidney to the bladder) and urethra (the tube that allows the bladder to void urine).
What is the pain in the urethra?
He specializes in male infertility. Pain in the urethra (the tube that passes from the bladder to the outside of the body) can be very uncomfortable. While the pain is often burning in quality (depending on the cause), it can sometimes be severe to the point where the thought of urinating is excruciating.
Why does my urethra hurt?
In both men and women, common causes of urethral pain include sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as chlamydia, local irritation from soaps or spermicides, and urinary tract infections (UTIs). In men, prostatitis isn't an uncommon cause, whereas in women, vaginal dryness due to menopause can be an issue.
What STD causes urethral pain?
Mycoplasma genitalium: Now the third most common STD in the United States, this infection can cause urethral pain but is often asymptomatic. In women, it is often associated with bacterial vaginosis. Trichomoniasis: Trichomoniasis is an STD caused by a parasite that can cause urethral pain in both men and women.
What is the most common cause of urethritis?
Gonorrhea: Gonorrhea is caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrheae, and was, at one time, the most common cause of urethritis. It can cause pain in the urethra, penile discharge in men and vaginal discharge in women (often greenish-yellow), and pelvic pain, among other symptoms.
What tests are done for STDs?
Diagnostic tests may include tests for common STDs, a urinalysis, and further blood tests and imaging studies for the less common causes. The treatment will depend on the specific cause, with treatment of partners of importance in the case STDs. Urethra pain in women and men.
What causes nerve compression in the urethra?
Lumbar disc disease, spinal stenosis, or cysts on the spinal cord may cause nerve compression. 11 When this involves the nerves that travel to the urethra, pain may feel like it is coming from the urethra. Other conditions that may cause pain include Crohn's disease (especially with fistulas), and endometriosis .
Can menopausal women have urethral atrophy?
In women who are menopausal, vaginal atrophy can lead to urethral pain along with vaginal pain and dryness. 8 When severe, urethral prolapse may occur. Atrophy of the urethra and vagina can also increase the risk of urinary tract infections.
What is the swelling and irritation of the tube that transports urine from the bladder?
Urethritis is the swelling and irritation of the tube that transports urine from the bladder (urethra). Treatment for urethritis involves dealing with the underlying cause, which can include infections as well as injury or trauma.
Can urethritis fade?
The symptoms of infectious urethritis (usually) fade eventually, even without treatment. Treating the underlying infection, however, will reduce the risk of spreading it to one's sexual partner and can prevent the infection from spreading throughout the urinary tract.#N#The most common complications of urethritis in men are:
Follow up
If a specific pathogen is confirmed on testing, refer to the relevant treatment guideline for specific treatment, advice on tests of cure or tests for reinfection, and management of sexual partners:
Contact tracing & partner management
Female partners of men with NGU should be recalled for assessment and STI testing (regardless of the STI results of the man), as these women may have an increased risk for pelvic inflammatory disease.
Causes
Diagnosis
- Diagnosis of urethritis starts with a careful medical history. Your healthcare provider will ask you about any possible risk factors for STIs, such as a new sexual partner or condomless sex. They will also ask about any urological problems you have had in the past. Your doctor will then perform a physical exam. They will pay special attention to the presence of urethral discharge, ul…
Complications
- Some complications may occur with the common causes of urethral pain. These complications make a proper diagnosis essential. Complications include: 1. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): Untreated STIs such as chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, one of the leading causes of infertility.12 2. Pregnancy complications: When pregnancy does occur, there is an incr…
Treatment
- The treatment of urethral pain depends on the underlying cause.9Common treatments include: 1. Lidocaine, Pyridium: For symptom management, topical lidocaine gel or Pyridium (phenazopyridine) medication may reduce pain (note that Pyridium can turn urine red). 2. Antibiotics: For STIs due to bacteria, treatment depends on the particular bacteria caus...
Prevention
- Fortunately, there are simple measures you can take to prevent the more common causes of urethral pain. Safer sex practicescan help reduce your risk of STIs. You can make sex safer by: 1. Always using an external condom and other barriers 2. Limiting the number of sexual partners you have 3. Getting tested for STIs regularly Tips for reducing the risk of urinary tract infections inclu…
When to See A Healthcare Provider
- It is never normal to have pain in the urethra. So a healthcare provider should always evaluate this symptom unless it has a clear, reversible cause, such as stinging immediately after using a new personal care product. That said, some conditions are more urgent than others. Untreated infections with chlamydia and gonorrhea can permanently damage reproductive organs. Even in …
Summary
- Urethral pain may be caused by many things, including STIs, trauma, bacterial or fungal infections, and obstruction. To accurately diagnose what is causing pain in your urethra, your doctor will do a physical exam. They may also order labs and imaging tests. Treatment depends on the cause and may include antibiotics, antiparasitics, antivirals, or symptom management. Urethra pain is neve…
A Word from Verywell
- Because a sexually transmitted infection may be one cause of urethral pain, people are sometimes hesitant to talk to their healthcare provider about it. However, STIs are common and nothing that should cause embarrassment. Additionally, there are many potential causes of urethral pain. Pain, in general, is your body's way of letting you know that something is wrong. In …