Endoscopic internal urethrotomy for treatment of urethral strictures: midterm survey.

Success in the management of urethral strictures can be claimed only after many years, patients sometimes faring well for ten years or more before suffering a recurrence. We used endoscopic urethrotomy as primary treatment for a variety of urethral strictures in 123 patients. Follow-up is over two years for 63 patients and more than five years for 18. Over-all success rate at five years was 76 per cent. Failures are twice as frequent in strictures, regardless of their origin, involving the anterior urethra than in the bulbar or posterior urethra. Two-thirds occurred in the first year of follow-up, but, as in other techniques, recurrence can occur after four years.