Urethral Strictures
Fast access to expert diagnosis and personalised treatment for urethral strictures to restore comfort and confidence in your urinary health.
Expert Diagnosis and Personalised Treatment For Urethral Strictures
A urethral stricture can be a challenging condition, leading to persistent discomfort and anxiety about urinary function.
Here at The Urology Partnership, we specialise in the precise diagnosis and advanced treatment of urethral strictures to restore your quality of life and put you back in control of your health.
Our consultants are global experts in the management of urethral strictures, receiving referrals from other centres around the UK South Coast as part of their specialist NHS practice in treating this condition.
The Urethra and Stricture Formation
What is a urethral stricture?
The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to exit the body. A urethral stricture is an abnormal narrowing of this tube. This occurs when scar tissue forms along the urethral lining—a process called fibrosis—which restricts the normal flow of urine.
This restricted flow can cause noticeable physical symptoms such as needing to strain to urinate, or feeling like your bladder isn’t fully empty after urinating. It may also lead to serious complications within the urinary tract and kidneys if left untreated.
Why are strictures more common in men?
Urethral strictures are significantly more common in men due to the longer length of the male urethra, which spans the penis, perineum and prostate. This longer course makes it more susceptible to injury and scarring.
While rarer, urethral strictures do also occur in women and are often related to inflammatory conditions, childbirth-related injury and complications from pelvic surgery.
Causes of urethral strictures
Strictures can develop for a variety of reasons and with varying severity. Our diagnostic process includes thoroughly investigating the likely cause to ensure effective treatment.
Common causes of include:
Trauma: Injuries that crush the urethra, such as a severe fall astride a hard object (e.g., a bicycle cross-bar) or significant pelvic trauma (often associated with pelvic bone fractures).
Infection and inflammation: Recurrent or chronic urethritis (inflammation of the urethra) caused by urinary tract infections (UTIs) or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like gonorrhoea or chlamydia.
Lichen sclerosus (BXO): This chronic inflammatory skin condition is a leading cause of strictures, particularly in the meatus (opening) and glans penis.
Iatrogenic causes: Damage resulting from previous medical procedures, such as repeated catheterisation, complex endoscopic procedures, or surgery on adjacent organs (like the prostate).
Congenital: Rare cases where the stricture is present from birth due to an anatomical abnormality.
Idiopathic: Where no clear cause can be identified.
Symptoms of Urethral Strictures
The signs of a stricture often appear gradually. If you notice any changes in your urination patterns, particularly those listed below, we urge you to seek specialist advice.
- Flow changes: Reduced urinary flow or a weak stream, spraying or splitting of the urine stream.
- Voiding difficulty: Difficulty starting urination, feeling the need to strain to start or maintain the flow.
- Incomplete emptying: A feeling that the bladder is not fully empty after urination.
- Increased frequency: Frequent or urgent need to urinate, or waking up multiple times at night to urinate (nocturia).
- Associated issues: Pain in the pelvis or lower abdomen, recurrent UTIs, or blood in the urine (haematuria).
Medical emergency: In rare cases, a stricture can lead to acute urinary retention (complete inability to pass urine) or obstructive renal failure. If you experience a sudden inability to pass urine, seek immediate medical attention.
Diagnosing Urethral Strictures
Early diagnosis is critical to preventing complications like chronic bladder dysfunction or kidney damage. Our specialists use a detailed, multi-stage approach to accurately pinpoint the location, length and severity of the stricture to establish the best course of treatment.
Key diagnostic tests at The Urology Partnership include:
Detailed History and Physical Examination: A thorough discussion of your symptoms, medical history (including past infections or injuries), followed by a focused physical assessment.
Urine Tests: Urinalysis and urine culture to check for infection, inflammation or bacteria.
Uroflowmetry and PVR: A simple test to measure your urinary flow rate (the speed and volume of your stream). This is combined with a Post-Void Residual (PVR) ultrasound to measure how much urine is left in the bladder after you finish urinating.
Flexible Cystoscopy: A minimally invasive procedure where a thin, flexible tube with a camera is gently passed into the urethra to directly examine the stricture and the bladder.
Treatments for Urethral Strictures
Once a precise diagnosis is confirmed, your consultant will discuss the optimal treatment plan with you. Our recommendations are always tailored to the stricture’s cause, length, location (e.g., bulbar vs. penile) and your personal goals.
Treatment options include:
Optilume drug-coated balloon
An innovative, minimally invasive treatment especially suitable for recurrent anterior strictures. The Optilume procedure uses a drug-coated balloon to dilate the urethra and precisely deliver anti-scarring medication (paclitaxel) to the strictured area to reduce the risk of recurrence. It offers low recovery time and high success rates compared to traditional methods.
Urethral dilation
Dilation offers simple, temporary relief as the stricture is stretched using sequentially larger dilators. While it provides immediate relief it often requires repeated procedures as recurrence rates are high.
Direct Vision Internal Urethrotomy (DVIU)
During a urethrotomy a scalpel or laser is used to make a small incision in the stricture to widen the urethra and improve urine flow. This minimally invasive procedure has faster recovery times than others, doesn’t leave much scarring and has a low risk of infection. However, recurrence rates can be high.
Urethroplasty
The gold-standard treatment for long or complex strictures, a urethroplasty is a complex, definitive surgical procedure involving the removal of the scarred section and reconstruction of the urethra. This corrective procedure offers the highest chance of a permanent cure.
Catheterisation
In cases of acute urinary retention, a catheter (a flexible tube) may be temporarily inserted into the bladder to drain urine.
Take Control of Your Urinary Health
If you are experiencing symptoms of a urethral stricture or seeking expert advice on recurrence, taking prompt action can preserve your urinary health and comfort.
Our leading stricture specialists are here to offer personalised support, compassionate care and fast access to advanced diagnostic and treatment pathways.
Contact The Urology Partnership today to arrange a consultation.
Call us on: 0118 920 7040
Or use the make an appointment form below to request a private consultation.
Next Steps
Get fast access to leading specialists for the swift diagnosis and treatment of urological conditions in a private clinic environment.
If you would like more information or wish to arrange a consultation with one of our specialist consultant urological surgeons then please either Call 0118 920 7040 or complete the form below.
Insured patients
Contact your GP and ask for a referral to the Urology Partnership.
All consultations, investigations and treatments are covered by major insurance companies (depending on policy).
Funding your own treatment
Self-funding initial consultation fee is £250. Follow up fees are £175.
Consultation charges are exclusive of any tests and other investigations that the consultant may wish to carry out.