Purpose of review
In patients presenting with
urethral stricture disease, the mainstay of definitive treatment is
urethroplasty. Until recently, it was unclear if
urethroplasty was a feasible option in patients with
urethral stricture secondary to pelvic
radiation exposure. We review the feasibility and outcomes for
urethroplasty in patients with
radiation-induced
urethral stricture.
Recent findings
Urethroplasty in patients exposed to
radiation can be technically challenging secondary to stricture location and tissue damage; however, it still has an acceptable success rate with durable outcomes. Most
radiation-induced strictures are limited in length, located in the bulbomembranous region, and are amenable to excision and primary anastomosis. There are higher rates of postoperative urinary incontinence in this cohort when compared with outcomes for
urethroplasty without
radiation exposure; however, erectile function appears to be preserved.
Summary
Recent studies highlight that
urethroplasty has acceptable success rates in men with
radiation-induced
urethral stricture. Patients in this cohort need to be counseled on the potential for urinary incontinence following
urethroplasty.
