Burden and management of urethral stricture in a newly established urology unit of a tertiary hospital

Abstract

Background: Urethral stricture is a common urologic disease affecting mostly adult males. It constitutes a significant burden in the practice of urology. Objectives: The objective of the study is to assess the burden and management outcome of urethral stricture in our hospital. Materials and Method: This is a retrospective study of patients managed for urethral stricture in our hospital between 2015 to 2019. Medical records of the patients were retrieved, basic demographic and management information were extracted, entered into proforma and analyzed. Results: A total of 86 patients were treated for urethral stricture over the period, the medical records of 77 patients were retrieved and analyzed. The 86 patients constitute 34.5% of all urologic surgeries performed in the hospital within the period. All were males aged 19-90years (53.6±9.01SD years). Acute urinary retention (AUR) was the commonest presentation (44.2%), others presented with lower urinary tract symptoms and chronic urinary retention. Most common complication was urinary tract infection (28.6%). Urethritis was the commonest risk factor (46.8%). Most patients were diagnosed with short segment stricture (54.4%). Recurrence rate was 26%. Conclusion: Urethral stricture constitutes significant workload for urologist where patients commonly present with complications. Urethritis remains the predominant risk factor for urethral stricture among our patients.