The urethra is the tube that moves urine from your bladder to the outside of your body. When it’s damaged — from injury or surgery, for example — urethroplasty surgery can repair or completely reconstruct it. Urethral reconstruction not only relieves pain and discomfort but prevents serious complications, such as infection or long term damage to your bladder or kidneys.
Conditions Treated
Urethroplasty is recommended when bands of scar tissue called strictures form in the urethra. Strictures, which can affect men and women, can be caused by:
- Scarring from prior surgery or catheter placement
- Previous infections
- Radiation damage from cancer treatment
- Traumatic injury
- Unknown causes
Left untreated, strictures restrict the flow of urine. In addition to causing pelvic pain and difficulty urinating, restricted urine flow can have serious complications, including infection and bladder damage. Urethroplasty restores normal urine flow.
Meet our urethroplasty surgeons
Surgical Approach
Before your surgery, you will need tests so your reconstructive urologist can understand the extent of the damage to your urethra. These may include a cystoscopy (using a small camera to examine inside the urethra) or an X-ray. The results of these tests will let your surgeon know the best approach. Options may include:
- End-to-end urethroplasty: Your surgeon removes the scar tissue, leaving two unconnected, healthy ends of the urethra. The healthy portions are connected.
- Substitution urethra: Your surgeon removes scar tissue, then uses small pieces of tissue from other areas of your own body to reconstruct the urethra. Tissue grafts are often taken from the mouth.
For more complex urethroplasties, our reconstructive urologists are equipped with the Da Vinci 5 surgical robot. Most are done without the use of the surgical robot.
Your surgery could take between 90 minutes and five hours, depending on the type of repair and extent of the damage.
No matter the surgical approach, the recovery period is about a month. You will need to wear a catheter while you recover. If you had a tissue graft, you will have a small bandage on that area.
Why Choose Rush for Urethroplasty
- Surgical expertise: Reconstructive urology specialists at Rush have the training and experience needed to perform tissue grafts for successful urethral stricture repair. A specialist can also anticipate and avoid potential complications.
- Top of our class: U.S. News & World Report ranked Rush University Medical Center as high performing for urology care. Beyond just treating your condition, Rush urology specialists are dedicated to personalized care that focuses on your quality of life.
- Quality care for complex issues: Following a urethroplasty, some people discover they have underlying bladder issues. Our fellowship-trained reconstructive urologist will work with you to continue treating problems following your urethral reconstruction.
- Closer to home: Located in Chicago and Oak Park, our reconstructive urologists can provide presurgical evaluations, surgery and postsurgical care in convenient locations that ensure you don’t have to travel far for high-quality care.
FAQs About Urethroplasty Surgery
Urethroplasty is a surgical procedure that removes scar tissue in the urethra, a tube that takes urine from the bladder when you urinate. Following the removal of scar tissue, the surgeon will rebuild the area by either connecting two sections of the urethra or using a small piece of tissue from another part of the body (often the inside of the cheek).
Depending on the location and severity of your strictures, surgery may take 90 minutes to five hours.
If you have urinary strictures, or scar tissue in the urethra, you may be a candidate for urethral reconstruction. About half of people don’t know why they have strictures. Sometimes, prior infections, surgery, kidney or bladder stones or congenital defects can cause strictures. Radiation therapy and trauma can also lead to strictures. A fistula (or hole) may also require urethral reconstruction.
Both men and women can need a urethroplasty.
Before you have urethral reconstruction, you will have a series of tests so your surgeon can determine the level of damage. They may include using a camera in the urethra, X-rays or both.
Most people go home the same day after urethral reconstruction. Recovery at home involves wearing a catheter for at least a month. Once imaging confirms the urethra is healed properly, you will come back to your surgeon for a catheter removal.
Sometimes. Your reconstructive urologist uses tools that are best suited to your individual case. Most urethroplasties are done without the surgical robot, but the surgeon has access and training on the DaVinci 5 if needed to repair your strictures.
Yes. Depending on the cause of your strictures, more may develop after surgery. Your reconstructive urologist can help you track the progress of these strictures and any symptoms that you have and recommend the best way to treat them.
