ABSENCE OF URETHRAL STRICTURES WITH SUPRAPUBIC URINARY DRAINAGE DURING EXTRACORPOREAL-CIRCULATION

Postoperative urethral strictures following extracorporeal circulation in open heart surgery are not uncommon. The etiology is not clear. Is chemia and pressure of the Foley catheter may cause a lesion that even tually leads to urethral stricture. We retrospectively analyzed 300 pa tients who had undergone open heart surgery. In 1 group the bladder wa s drained by a Foley catheter during extracorporeal circulation, while another group underwent suprapubic drainage. Strictures developed in 10 of 152 patients (6.6%) with an indwelling catheter. Conversely, no strictures occurred in the 148 patients treated with suprapubic urinar y drainage. The use of suprapubic drainage during extracorporeal circu lation greatly decreases the risk of postoperative urethral strictures .