THE WALLSTENT - A NEW STENT FOR THE TREATMENT OF URETHRAL STRICTURES

Ten patients have been reviewed in whom urethral stents were implanted for treatment of urethral stricture. Their urethral strictures had be en treated with a median of 4.2 endoscopic urethrotomies under direct vision without success. The patients were first treated with optical u rethrotomy, and dilatation to 30 F-after which the stents were inserte d under direct endoscopic control. A total of 12 stents were inserted. All patients had a 30 mm stent inserted first, and two patients had a n additional 20 mm stent inserted because of recurrent stricture at th e distal or proximal end of the first stent. One patient had a urethro tomy 12 months after insertion of the stent because of a short recurre nt stricture at its distal end. The median length of follow up was 24 months. The median preoperative maximum flow rate was 6.5 ml/s and the median postoperative maximum flow rate was 20.3 ml/s. Half the patien ts had postmicturition dribbling postoperatively. The stents were cove red with epithelium after 6-18 months, most between 12 and 18 months.