Therapeutic efficiency of short anterior urethral stricture treated with endourethral surgery combined with iridium 192 radiotherapy

Objective To assess the therapeutic efficiency of short anterior urethral stricture treated with endourethral surgery combined with iridium 192 radiation therapy in order to decrease the recurrence rate after endourethral surgery.Methods A total of 286 patients with anterior urethral stricture(stricture length ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 cm,averaging at 1.6 cm)were divided randomly into two groups after internal urethrotomy and cicatrix electrotomy.The radiation group of 173 patients was treated as soon as possible with iridium 192 radiation therapy on the stricture sections while the control group of 113 patients was not.The recurrence rate was compared between the two groups during one year’s follow-up.Results Among all the 286 successful operations,stricture recurred in 19 patients of the radiation group(recurrence rate of 10.98%)and in 62 ones of the control group(recurrence rate of 54.86%),with a significant difference(P=0.003).Conclusion It is an effective way to prevent recurrence by treating patients as early as possible with iridium 192 radiation on the stricture sections after endourethral operation on anterior urethral stricture.