Reviewed By:
Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care)
Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.
Nao Saito, MD (Urology)
After graduating from Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Dr. Saito worked at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital, Toda Chuo General Hospital, Tokyo Women's Medical University Yachiyo Medical Center, and Ako Chuo Hospital before becoming Deputy Director (current position) at Takasaki Tower Clinic Department of Ophthalmology and Urology in April 2020.
Content updated on Jul 10, 2024
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Frequent urination
Urinary incontinence
Urinary retention
Frequent urination at night
Excessive urination
Painful urination
Urinary urgency
Weak urine stream
Incomplete bladder emptying
Sharp pain when peeing
Trouble starting urination
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The urethra is a tube that carries urine from the bladder and allows urine to leave the body. A urethral stricture is when the urethra is narrowed, restricting the flow of urine from the bladder. This condition usually occurs due to inflammation or the presence of scar tissue. Pelvic fractures and an enlarged prostate can also cause urethral strictures.
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:
Depending on the cause of your urethral stricture, surgical or non-surgical treatments might be recommended. The main non-surgical method would be to use an instrument called a dilator to widen your urethra. Your doctor will pass a small wire through the urethra and into the bladder to dilate it. Surgery is usually recommended in more severe cases of urethral stricture where affected tissue can be removed, followed by urethral reconstruction.
Verla W, Oosterlinck W, Spinoit AF, Waterloos M. A Comprehensive Review Emphasizing Anatomy, Etiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Male Urethral Stricture Disease. Biomed Res Int. 2019 Apr 18;2019:9046430. doi: 10.1155/2019/9046430. PMID: 31139658; PMCID: PMC6500724.
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2019/9046430/Blandy JP. Urethral stricture. Postgrad Med J. 1980 Jun;56(656):383-418. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.56.656.383. PMID: 6997851; PMCID: PMC2425711.
https://pmj.bmj.com/content/56/656/383Gelman J, Furr J. Urethral Stricture Disease: Evaluation of the Male Urethra. J Endourol. 2020 May;34(S1):S2-S6. doi: 10.1089/end.2018.0316. PMID: 32459152; PMCID: PMC7249476.
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/end.2018.0316Keegan KA, Nanigian DK, Stone AR. Female urethral stricture disease. Curr Urol Rep. 2008 Sep;9(5):419-23. doi: 10.1007/s11934-008-0071-7. PMID: 18702927.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11934-008-0071-7Zaid UB, Lavien G, Peterson AC. Management of the Recurrent Male Urethral Stricture. Curr Urol Rep. 2016 Apr;17(4):33. doi: 10.1007/s11934-016-0588-0. PMID: 26902627.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11934-016-0588-0This symptom checker site is a great resource to either get an idea of what is happening inside your body or even get a second opinion without incurring another huge bill. It also provides a way to connect with a professional if needed. I really enjoy this site.
Aug 30, 2024 (Female, 40s)
Reviewed By:
Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care)
Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.
Nao Saito, MD (Urology)
After graduating from Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Dr. Saito worked at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital, Toda Chuo General Hospital, Tokyo Women's Medical University Yachiyo Medical Center, and Ako Chuo Hospital before becoming Deputy Director (current position) at Takasaki Tower Clinic Department of Ophthalmology and Urology in April 2020.
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