The role of selective internal urethrotomy in the management of urethral stricture: a multi-centre evaluation

The advent of selective internal urethrotomy under direct vision has enabled precision endoscopic surgery to be undertaken on a wide range of urethral strictures. A multi-centre survey of 197 cases involving 322 urethrotomy procedures from 5 urological departments in England is reported. The overall results after a follow-up of up to 4 years suggest that there is no indication for further procedures currently existing in 160 (81%) of those cases subjected to selective internal urethrotomy. The additional injection of triamcinalone acetate into the strictured area prior to urethrotomy is recommended in resistant cases. The procedure of selective internal urethrotomy is, in our opinion; the best primary method for the treatment of urethral stricture, and it is hoped this will reduce the indications for anastomotic or substitution urethroplasty.