Hyderabad: AINU doctors flag rise in urethral strictures due to accidents, UTIs

Hyderabad: Urethral strictures, a condition characterised by the narrowing of the urethra, are leading to a growing number of surgeries, primarily driven by road trauma accidents and urinary infections.

What is a urethral stricture?

A urethral stricture is a condition where scar tissue causes a narrowing of the urethra, the tube responsible for carrying urine out of the body. This narrowing restricts urine flow from the bladder, leading to potential issues in the urinary tract, such as infections.

The Asian Institute of Nephrology and Urology (AINU) has seen a rise in urethral reconstruction surgeries.

To bring awareness to these cases, AINU conducted Urethra@AINU, one of India’s largest urology conferences, where experts shared insights on advanced techniques in urethral reconstruction. The conference attracted 800 attendees from eight countries.

Road accident cases on the rise

Dr Bhavatej Enganti, consultant urologist at AINU and organising secretary of the conference, noted, “Urethral damage often occurs when there are multiple fractures in road accidents. In such cases, it is necessary to wait for a few months before corrective surgery. The incidence of accidents has been increasing recently, and when vehicles collide at high speeds, the urethra, along with other organs, suffers severe damage.”

Other causes of urethral strictures

Besides road accidents, infections such as UTIs and STIs, radiation treatments for cancer, congenital abnormalities, and prolonged use of catheters also contribute to urethral strictures.

Dr Enganti elaborated, “We are also observing narrowing of the urethra due to UTI and STI-related complications. Radiation treatments for cancer also lead to urethral problems. Congenital abnormalities necessitate such procedures like some children are born without a proper urethra. Additionally, infections due to extended hospital stays, bedridden conditions, and the use of catheters can also lead to urethral strictures.”

Challenges in surgery

Urethral repairs are complex with a high risk of failure, often requiring the use of the patient’s own tissues, typically from the buccal cavity.

Dr Enganti highlighted the role of advanced techniques: “Genetic engineering or bioengineering skills are required for these procedures. When multiple attempts fail, tissue availability becomes an issue, so there are regenerative methods based on cell therapy, where tissue is injected to allow the urethra to heal itself.”

AINU’s contributions

Dr C Mallikarjuna, managing director and chief consultant urologist of AINU, shared the hospital’s achievements: “In the past nine years, we have performed over 1,000 urethral reconstruction surgeries. Starting with 50 cases annually, we now handle 200-250 cases per year, placing us among the top centres in South India for such surgeries.” The conference aimed to provide training and learning opportunities to meet the growing demand for skilled surgeons in this field.

The event Urethra@AINU was attended by over 800 delegates from countries including the UK, Uganda, Nepal, Bangladesh, Singapore, Thailand and Gulf countries. Renowned urologists like Dr Sanjay Kulkarni from Pune and Dr Ganesh Gopalakrishnan from Coimbatore were key speakers. Additionally, Ajit Rangnekar, former dean of ISB Hyderabad, delivered a keynote address.