Urethroplasty surgery types vary from people to people depending upon the location, cause and length of the structure of the urethra. The most common urethroplasty surgery time is about 3 to 6 hours to complete.

Urethroplasty is performed through the perineum, the area between the scrotum and the anus. There are other types of urethroplasty surgery such as the ones where the penis skin is used and an incision is created on the penis. With experienced surgeons and good surgical processes, there’s rarely a chance for a formation of scar tissue on the external part of the penile skin.

There are many causes that lead to damage in the urethra. Some of the most common ones are prior injury or surgery, prior surgical operation of catheter placement, or through sexually transmitted disease.

Men with urethral injury or damage in their urine channel can experience various discomfort and problems while urinating. You are most likely to experience a slow urine stream or sudden urge of urination in-between times. In severe causes of scar damage in the urethra, many individuals experience complete blockage of urination and are unable to urinate. While others feel pain and experience bladder infections and more.

Urethroplasty is very less likely to cause any trouble while performing sexual activity. However, there are few complications that arise post-surgery like difficulty with erection and ejaculation in addition to the blockage in the urine channel. You must consult your urologist with the complication to meet an early solution.

No! There are very chances of getting a scar on the penis after going through urethroplasty.

Urethroplasty is performed under the effects of anesthesia. Post-surgery, some do experience pain but it is usually mild. In serious cases, the pain can rise but it’s very rarely seen in patients. However, if you experience discomforting pain then doctors offer medication to overcome the pain. 

A catheter is a small tube that’s about the size of spaghetti is placed in the penis for about 15 to 20 after surgery to offer good healing without damaging the vulnerable cells. You must keep the tube clean and stuck with the skin to escape any movement. You can apply antibiotic ointment to the penis for keeping the opening non-sticky to keep the catheter.

Urethroplasty recovery depends on the treatment performed on you based on your penile condition. The most common condition would be staying in the hospital overnight after surgery as it’s difficult to move in such a condition. However, when you start to eat, drink and walk, you’ll be happily discharged from the hospital. Post-surgery, it’s very essential to limit any kind of activity after urethroplasty until you’ve noticed complete healing. From bodybuilding tasks like heavy lifting, running, exercise or work for the first two weeks is highly restricted. 

Any movement in the body that might lead to change in the catheter placement must be avoided hence resuming back to work within 10-24 days must not be done physically, you can handle calls or attend meetings.

Post-surgery follow-up of urethroplasty play immensely vital as many urethral strictures return in the first year or two after surgery. Patients return back to the hospital with strictures related issues in every three to six months of their first year of urethroplasty. In the first appointment of every follow-up of urethroplasty, patients undergo a cystoscopy of the urethra where the urinary flow rate, residual urine is measured carefully. Cystoscopy is a procedure that allows examining the inner lining of the bladder and urethra by inserting a hollow tube called a cystoscope for examining the area and see if there are recurring structures. The follow-up of urethroplasty is done depending upon these exams if there are any changes noticed.

Yes, structures can come back again. When they reoccur after the surgery, they are present in the extremely thin and web-like form. The stricture can result in causing a disturbance in the urethra but it’s possible to treat it internally by cutting the stricture with a scope procedure. That is very distinct to the initial stricture which often scars while responding long-term to an internal cutting procedure. Some strictures don’t respond to internal cutting hence are sent for further surgery.

Urethroplasty has a pretty high rate of being a successful surgery. Though it depends on the different types of urethroplasty types. Even if strictures return back, about 75%-88% can be easily resolved. Even if structures return, only half of them lead to symptoms. Even if stricture returns back, it has to be tight enough to create a urinary flow blockage. If you showcase any symptoms then an internal cutting surgery is suggested to try, If it doesn’t go well, you might need an additional surgery which is a very rare incident after urethroplasty.

There are chances of erectile dysfunction in men after urethroplasty. It is mostly due to the cavernous nerve, damage to the penile and deteriorating of the flow of the bulbar artery. Though it’s very rare to occur since the surgical procedure turns out to be highly successful.

Urethral strictures are mostly cured permanently. While performing urethroplasty, we remove the urethral part with stricture and scar tissue. If there’s a long stricture, surgeons add new tissue from the mouth or the skin of the penile area as a graft.

There are few side effects after cystoscopy. Here are the following:

• Bleeding from the Urethra
• Burning sensation during urination
• Excessive urination for the first two days.