Abstract

Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate urethral strictures due to the transurethral resection (TUR) and related risk factors.

Materials and methods: We investigated 504 men who had TUR and 637 procedures of TUR-Prostate (TUR-P) and TUR-Bladder tumour (TUR-BT) between January 2005 and January 2010 retrospectively. Patients were evaluated for the risk factors such as age, localization and length of stricture, number of TUR, time of resection, size of resectoscope sheat, transurethral catheter diameter, postoperative duration period of catheter, and number of internal urethrotomy in patients with urethral stricture.

Results: The mean age of TUR-P and TUR-BT patients was 67.2 (range 46-86) and 62 (range 22-85) years, respectively. Urethral stricture occured in 25 of 504 patients. The mean follow-up for patients with urethral stricture was 11.8 (range 3-43) and 13.9 (range 3-72) months for TUR-P and TUR-BT patients, respectively. There was statistically significant relationship between urethral stricture and the number of TUR, and between length of stricture and the number of internal urethrotomy. Urethral strictures were mostly at bulbous urethra. 

Conclusion: Incidence of urethral stricture increases with the increase of the number of TUR, and increase of length of stricture is also related to the number of internal urethrotomy. Strictures are mostly localize at bulbous urethra. Applying of sufficient lubricating agents whenever needed along the shaft of the resectoscope and using smaller size of resectoscope sheath may decrease friction between resectoscope sheath and urethra. We also think that being careful while introducing resectoscope sheath through bulbous urethra might also decrease urethral stricture formation.