USE OF MULTIPLE UROLUME ENDOURETHRAL PROSTHESES IN COMPLEX BULBAR URETHRAL STRICTURES

Purpose: We evaluated patients who received multiple UroLume Wallstent s during the North American UroLume trial for the treatment of recurr ent bulbar urethral strictures. Materials and Methods: A total of 41 p atients received multiple UroLume stents. The clinical histories and t herapeutic outcomes of these patients were reviewed. Results: Of the p atients 23% required placement of multiple urethral stents. Stents pla ced at the initial procedure were required for strictures longer than 2.5 cm. and for multiple, separate strictures. Indications for seconda ry insertion included recurrent stricture adjacent to the stent, hyper plastic tissue growth within the stent and gaps between previously adj acent stents. The repeat treatment rate was 43.9% versus 14.3% for the study group overall. Urine flow rates and symptom scores in the multi ple stent group showed improvement similar to that of the study group overall. Conclusions: Patients who required multiple stents had greate r rates of repeat treatment but similarly improved urine flows and sym ptom scores, which were maintained at 2 years.