Urethral Stricture
As shown in the above diagram, when the urine pipe gets blocked or narrow, its called a urethral stricture. This stricture can be any part from the tip to up to the bladder.
There are many causes for urethral stricture.
Some of the common causes for stricture are
- Stone passage
- Sexual Disease
- Gonorrhoea
- Syphillis/Tuberculosis
- Trauma/Bicycling
- Urethritis/Pus in urethra
- Past surgery
- Balanitis Xerotica Obliternas - in indian men without circumcision
But most people will never have any definite history. They will just present with their disease.
The stricture itself can present in may ways, but the common symptoms are
- Difficulty in passing urine
- Thin stream
- Straining to pass urine/ urine coming in drops
- burning in urine
- not able to ejaculate
- semen coming in drops
MCU/RGU
RGU or retrograde urethrogram is an investigation to diagnose urethral stricture. I usually perform this test on a daycare basis. Your urologist will make you lie down and then put some medicine in (dye/contrast/radiological contrast) in your urethra through the hole at the tip of your penis. And then will take an x ray. From the xray, he can then diagnose where the blockage is and how to treat it. A RGU is best performed by the treating urologist. I perform all my RGU personally to give my patients the best result.
Then he will fill your bladder with the contrast/dye and then you will be asked to pass urine in front of an xray. With this I can make out any hidden obstruction if any?
The xray exposure is usually minimal and you can usually go home after the procedure without any complication.
Depending on each unique case, one or bith investigations may be required. Additional investigations such as an Ultrasound or a MRI may be requested in complicated cases.
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OIU/IOU/VOIU/VIU
Optical internal urethrotomy/Internal Optical urethrotomy/VideoOIU or Video Internal urethrotomy
They all mean the same procedure. Using a camera and a very small knife, your urologist will cut through the narrow segment, and allow you to void in a good stream.
It is a simple procedure, with ugly results if not done properly. Because of its simplicity, many unqualified surgeons are offering it to unsuitable cases. Please show prudence and consult a qualified urologist for the best results.
Depending on your need additional procedures like cold knife OIU or use of injections may be combined to give better results. The procedure may be performed in 1 to 3 sittings.
You will remain on a urine pipe for 2 days after the surgery.