Can bipolar vaporization be considered an alternative energy source in the endoscopic treatment of urethral strictures and bladder neck contracture?

OBJECTIVE We evaluated the outcome of bipolar energy by using PlasmaKinetic(TM) cystoscope instruments in the treatment of urethral stricture and bladder neck contracture. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-two male patients with urethral stricture and five with bladder neck contracture were treated by endoscopic bipolar vaporization. The most common etiology for stricture formation was iatrogenic (85.2%) and the mean stricture length was 12.2 mm. All patients were evaluated with urethrography and uroflowmetry one month and 3 months after surgery. Urethroscopy was routinely performed at the end of the first year. Preoperative mean maximum flow rate (Q max) was 4.9 mL/s for urethral stricture and mean Q max was 3.4 mL/s for bladder neck contracture. The results were considered as "successful" in patients where re-stenosis was not identified with both urethrography and urethroscopy. Minimum follow-up was 13.8 months (range 12 to 20). RESULTS Tissue removal was rapid, bleeding was negligible and excellent visualization was maintained throughout the vaporization of the fibrotic tissue. Postoperative mean Q max was 14.9 mL/s and the success rate was 77.3% for urethral stricture at mean follow-up time of 14.2 months. The success rate was 60% with a mean follow-up time of 12.2 months for bladder neck contracture and the mean Q max was 16.2 mL/s, postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS The study suggests that bipolar vaporization is a safe, inexpensive and reliable procedure with good results, minimal surgical morbidity, negligible blood loss, and thus, it could be considered as a new therapeutic option for the endoscopic treatment of urethral stricture and bladder neck contracture.