Hyderabad: Contraction of the urethra which causes slow passing of urine in men due to prostrate condition can now be rectified with a novel, relatively pain-less treatment by using the regenerative capabilities of the body’s cells. The study done in collaboration with Indian and Japanese urologists has been published in the International Journal of Urology.
Senior urologist and robotic kidney transplant surgeon Dr Surya Praksah Vaddi from Yashoda Hospitals is a part of the team that carried out this technique, which has proved to be successful.
Dr Vaddi explained, “Earlier the procedure required open surgery, but, the new procedure is relatively pain-less. It is done using the buccal mucosal cells from the body and harvesting them in laboratories. The cells are then used to enlarge the urethra.”
This method involves culturing of cells in a lab without animal proteins, which is then transplanted. The procedure will be performed using local anaesthesia in the lower abdomen.
Dr Vaddi explained, “The major cause of this stricture is inflammation and trauma. But in 30 per cent of the patients, the cause of the contraction is unknown. The contraction is in the urethra which is a tube from the bladder to the urinary opening in the penis. When it gets narrowed the condition is called stricture urethra. Patients then have very slow passage of urine which is painful. Frequent bathroom visits, uncomfortable feeling and heavy bladder all the time are some of the common complaints.”
In India, it is estimated that 4 to 10 per 1,000 have this problem. It is mostly seen in men over 50 years of age. In the younger age group it is caused due to underlying illness, infections, trauma or inflammation of the body.
