Management of restenosis after urethral stent placement

We describe our experience with the management of restricture after urethral stent placement, including endoscopic and open surgical treatment.

We surveyed our prospectively collected database for patients with restenosis after urethral stent insertion. We reviewed patient age, comorbidities, indications for stent placement, restricture length, management of restricture, postoperative complications and the further restenosis rate.

Overall we have treated 22 patients with failed urethral stents with a median followup of 30 months (range 1 to 96). All stents were initially placed for urethral stricture management. Stricture etiology included prostate cancer therapy in 9 cases, idiopathic causes in 6, urethral instrumentation in 2, trauma in 2, simple prostatectomy in 2 and gender reassignment/phalloplasty in 1. Ten patients had anterior urethral stricture, 11 had posterior stricture and 1 patient had each type. Of the 22 patients with stenosis after stent placement 13 underwent urethroplasty. Of the 18 patients with indwelling stents at treatment the stent was removed in 8 intraoperatively and in 10 the stent was left in situ. Ten of the 11 anterior strictures were treated with urethroplasty. Only 4 of the 12 posterior strictures were treated with urethroplasty, while 8 were managed endoscopically. Our overall success rate for treatment after stent failure was 67% (8 of 12 cases) for posterior urethral strictures and 82% (9 of 11) for anterior strictures.

Urethral stent failure requires complex intervention. A failed posterior urethral stent can often be managed endoscopically. Conversely we have managed failed anterior urethral stents by urethroplasty.