Direct visual internal urethrotomy: Is it a durable treatment option?

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the long-term success rate of direct vision internal urethrotomy as a treatment for anterior urethral strictures. MATERIALS AND METHODS We retrospectively analyzed the results for patients who underwent internal urethrotomy from January 2009 to January 2014 for anterior urethral strictures. Patients were followed till January 2016. Patients with complicated urethral strictures with a history of previous urethroplasty, hypospadias repair, or previous radiation were excluded from the study, as anticipated low success rate of direct visual internal urethrotomy (DVIU) in these patients. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze stricture-free probability after the first, second, and third urethrotomy. RESULTS A total of 186 patients were included in this study. Stricture-free rates after first, second, and third urethrotomy were 29.66%, 22.64%, and 13.33%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Although DVIU may be a management option for anterior urethral stricture disease, it seems that long-term results are disappointing.