Urethroplasty is a procedure that involves repairing your urethra, which is the internal tube that transfers pee from your body. Because scarring in your urethra makes it difficult for urine to flow freely, you may need urethroplasty. The procedure could be part of a succession of gender affirmation procedures.
The urethra has been restricted by scar tissue and spongiofibrosis, and urethroplasty is an open surgical repair or replacement of the urethra (urethral stricture). The gold standard for urethral reconstruction, with the best and most long-lasting results, is urethroplasty.
A section of the scarred urethra can be entirely removed for small strictures involving the bulbar urethra (the region of the urethra that runs from the scrotum to the prostate). The urethra’s two severed ends are then stitched together.
The finest long-term surgical results are usually obtained by excising a short section of the urethra and stitching the ends together.
Because there will be too much tension when trying to bring the two cut ends together, stricture excision cannot be performed in the penile urethra or for long strictures of the bulbar urethra. Tension on the suture line might result in surgical failure and penile shortening and curvature.
A graft is a portion of tissue that is transplanted from one body part to another. Because a graft lacks its blood supply, it must rely on the blood supply of the host (the person to whom it was transferred) to survive. Rather than a complete replacement, grafts are employed to enhance the size of the small urethra.
Grafts for reconstructing the urethra are typically taken from the extra-genital skin or the inner lining of the mouth. A buccal transplant is a type of mouth graft.
The lining of the lips (cheek) is a moist, flexible tissue that works well as a urethra substitute. It is simple to remove a slice of tissue with no negative implications. The pain is mild, and it feels similar to when one bites his inner cheek unintentionally. The mouth recovers quickly, in most cases in less than a week.
A ureteral stent, also known as a ureteric stent, is a small, hollow tube that is put into the ureter. The urinary bladder is connected to the kidneys by ureters, which are narrow tube-like organs that allow urine to pass from the kidney. The stent is usually longer than the ureter and the tube ends are coiled. To reduce the likelihood of it being displaced, these coiled ends stay in the kidney on one side and the bladder on the other. The stents utilized in adult patients range in length from 24 to 30 centimetres. Stents come in various diameters or gauges to fit various ureter sizes. Stents also have ‘fenestrations,’ which are small apertures in the walls towards the ends. The flow of urine is aided by these fenestrations.
While your catheter is in place, you should avoid driving and sitting for long periods. Squatting and spreading your legs apart are also bad ideas. Stair climbing and walking regularly are quite safe. For a total of six weeks after your catheter is removed, you should avoid intercourse or masturbation.
Your mouth will heal in a short period. In around three weeks, you should have new tissue covering the area where the tissue was extracted.
