[Treatment of strictures of the urethra in men]

Treatment of urethral strictures was conducted in 84 male patients, aged 15 to 78 years. Combined treatment included optical (retrograde and antegrade) urethrotomy and transurethral electroresection (TUR) of scar tissues, combined with postoperative endourethral phonophoresis with lidase (64 units) and an antibiotic. Retrograde urethrotomy was performed under visual control. Scar tissues were dissected layer by layer until the resectoscope could be introduced. Antegrade urethrotomy was performed after bougies were passed through the stricture. To improve the results of endourethral surgery, all patients underwent endourethral lidase and antibiotic phonophoresis, using "C" irradiator of the Soviet Sterzhen' device, on postoperative day 3. The duration of phonophoretic session was 6 to 12 min at 0.1-0.3 kW. There were 8 to 10 sessions to a course of physiotherapy. This combined treatment stabilized urodynamic parameters at 1 to 1.5 years' follow-up, as evidenced by significantly increased mean and peak urinary flow rate and shorter bladder evacuation time. There were basically no postoperative relapses in 92.1% of the patients.