|
Balloon Dilation of Ureteral Stricture
What is
Balloon Dilation of Ureteral Stricture?
Ureteral stricture is a narrowing of the lumen
of the ureter, the ducts that carry urine from
the kidneys to the bladder, resulting in an
obstruction. Ureteral strictures may arise from
a variety of causes and are characterized as
either anastomotic or nonanastomotic, depending
on how they develop. They may also be benign or
malignant.
Back to Top
Effects
of Balloon Dilation of Ureteral Stricture
This
treatment allows relief of a ureteral stricture.
Back to Top
Candidates for Balloon Dilation of Ureteral
Stricture
Any
individual undergoing treatments such as an
ureteroscopy for kidney, gall or urinary bladder
stone management or urinary diversion is at a
greater risk for developing a ureteral
stricture.
Back to Top
Your Consultation
A
doctor may perform a urethroscopy to reveal the
degree of narrowing of the urethra. The patient
may also undergo another procedure, retrograde
urethrogram, to determine the site and degree of
stricture.
Additional tests may be needed to differentiate
a bladder outlet obstruction due to prostatism,
impacted urethral stones, urethral foreign
bodies and tumors. If tumors are present, the
doctor will conduct additional tests to
determine if they are malignant (cancerous) or
benignant (non-cancerous).
Back to Top
The
Balloon Dilation of Ureteral Stricture Procedure
There are a variety of minimally invasive
treatments for patients with ureteral
strictures. A doctor may perform balloon
dilation as a first step in treatment,
particularly in patients who have
non-anastomotic strictures.
This is usually performed in the urologist's
office under local anesthetic and involves
stretching the stricture using progressively
larger dilators called "sounds." Alternatively,
the stricture can be dilated with a special
balloon on a catheter. Dilation is rarely a cure
and needs to be periodically repeated. If the
stricture recurs too rapidly the patient may be
taught how to insert a catheter into the urethra
periodically to prevent early closure.
Back to Top
Recovery
Follow-up care for a patient undergoing
treatment for a ureteral stricture may include
imaging testing such as renal ultrasound, IVP,
or renal scintigraphy two to four weeks after
the stent is removed.
If the patient is asymptomatic, imaging is
performed again at three months and then at
six-month intervals for the first two years
following treatment. Most ureteral stricture
recurrences are identified within the first year
after surgery.
Back to Top
Risks
Pain, bleeding and
infection are the main problems associated with
dilation procedures. Occasionally, a "false
passage" or second urethral channel may be
formed from traumatic passage of the "sound."
Back to Top
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
What causes ureteral strictures?
A:
Ureteral strictures
may be caused by external trauma or develop
after treatment for another condition. Ureteral
strictures may be inflammatory due to gonorrhea,
tuberculous urethritis, or schistosomiasis, or
as a rare complication of cancer.
Non-anastomotic
ureteral strictures may develop after stone
impaction or upper urinary tract endoscopy, as
well as following pelvic radiation therapy and a
variety of open and laparoscopic surgical
procedures or other trauma.
Anastomotic ureteral strictures may develop as a
result of a urinary diversion surgery.
Q:
What are the symptoms?
A:
Symptoms of ureteral strictures are pain or
difficulty urinating, a weak stream, splaying of
the urinary stream, urinary retention, and
urinary tract infection. A doctor may be able to
detect evidence of scarring due to trauma or a
tumor.
Back to Top
The following list of Urology procedures are
performed at Beverly Hills Medical Group -
please click the links to find out more:
|
