Direct vision urethrotomy in the management of urethral strictures.

A series of 32 patients underwent direct vision urethrotomy. The technique is simple and the stay in hospital short. Intra- and postoperative complications are rare. Postoperatively, a silicon catheter is left for approximately 7 days, then hydraulic self-dilatation is performed by the patient for 6 months. 25 patients in this series (83%) voided satisfactorily after the procedure and needed no further treatment. Unsatisfactory results were obtained in patients with long strictures, in traumatic strictures with large scarred areas and in patients who failed to carry out regular hydraulic self-dilatation. We advise direct-vision urethrotomy as a treatment of choice for urethral strictures which do not exceed a length of 3 cm.