WELCOME!










Welcome to the Urethral Stricture Support blog. These pages are intended to assist those with questions regarding the disease, expected outcomes, resources, and emotional and informational support. AT NO TIME WILL MEDICAL ADVICE OF ANY KIND BE RENDERED. With your permission, your commentary may be included within the topics discussed within this forum. Moderators Cesar and Tim have a combined 50 years (celebrating a half-century of difficult urination) of experience in living with, dealing with, and overcoming what is broadly considered a disease with a high rate of morbidity. We have experienced every common surgical and instrumental "fix"/"repair" offered including the implantation of the Urolume Endoprosthesis. Both moderators have experience with the Urolume Endoprosthesis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first and only such support group anywhere. Please, do not be afraid or embarrassed to ask any question with regards to your diagnosis. We encourage you to discuss any and all information offered within this blog with your Urologist. A proactive and informed patient usually receives the best care.






With your help, and well-considered posts, the information gleaned from this site should help the countless scores of males aged 18 and over who are encountering the diagnosis of "Urethral Stricture".




PLEASE CHECK THE OLDER POSTS, THERE IS SOME VERY VALUABLE INFO POSTED IN PREVIOUS FILES




DISCLAIMER: We do not provide medical advice. We disseminate information relevant to urethral stricture disease. While we encourage research (and participation in research), we endorse no medication or treatment protocols. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US WITH SPECIFIC QUESTIONS @ urethralstrictures[no spam] at yahoo dot com

Monday, November 19, 2012

An answer of a Question about Urethrotomy; from one of the very best, Dr. Joel Gelman, M.D.

After receiving commentary from one of his patients who remarked that he had garnered some information from our blog-site, we were contacted by Dr. Joel Gelman, M.D., of the Center for Reconstructive Urology.  Anyone who has ever searched on the topic "urethral stricture" is well acquainted with his status as one of the WORLDS very best with regards to urethral reconstruction surgery.  I am elated that he took time from his busy schedule to contact us.

Another factor which precipitated his contacting us was our reasoning behind the deletion of the commentary by blog reader MNOQOCUA


His letter to us should serve to answer questions those who are newly diagnosed may have with regards to the most effective method(s) for addressing your situation.


I enthusiastically post this letter, with most sincere thanks!


Per: Moderator Tim




Moderator Tim,

Actually it is true that a urethrotomy usually makes the stricture worse.  Observation is associated with certain risks (bladder damage, infection, renal damage etc.).  Urethroplasty also can make a stricture worse when done by someone who is not exclusively specialized in male urethral surgery.  A very high percentage of my patients come to me after failed surgery done by doctors at Major Universities who really do not truly have real expertise in male stricture surgery.

I believe what all viewers with strictures should do is make sure their stricture is definitively diagnosed (including imaging) prior to treatment, and that they should be informed of ALL options and the risks, benefits, and expected outcome of each option (with one option being observation) before pursuing treatment.  This is what is required for informed consent.  In the case of a 3+ cm stricture, the chance of a cure with a urethrotomy is pretty much zero.  That does not mean a patient can not choose to be managed this way.  However, if that patient is not made aware that an open repair, done by someone who is an expert at doing this surgery, offers a very high probability of a cure, then he is not giving informed consent for the urethrotomy.

I would be happy to be of any help to you with your Blog.  I assume you have seen my website.  I hope to update it soon as my goal is for it to be a very helpful informational site for men with urethral strictures.  I am just so busy surgically, my time is limited.  If you have any specific suggestions for my website, I would welcome the feedback.

Sincerely,

Joel Gelman, M.D
Director, Center for Reconstructive Urology
Department of Urology
University of California, Irvine Medical Center
 
http://www.centerforreconstructiveurology.org

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