Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies for the Development of Urethral Stricture of Iatrogenic Origin: Role of the Urologist

Abstract

Urethral stricture is a pathology with significant morbidity in men. There is current evidence of a change in the prevalence of etiologies, with a decrease in inflammatory causes and a transition towards iatrogenesis as the most frequent. Through the search for the state of art in terms of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures known as associated factors to iatrogenic urethral stricture, a narrative review has been performed, in order to describe and recommend strategies for its prevention. Of the therapeutic procedures that cause urethral stricture as a complication, bladder catheterization is the main (up to 34.3%), followed by radical prostatectomy (29.9%). A good bladder catheterization technique guided by adequate training of personnel considerably reduces its incidence. On the other hand, the proper selection of treatments and technical aspects in patients who require the management of obstructive pathologies of the urinary tract such as prostatic hyperplasia and lithiasis or oncological diseases such as prostate cancer, are some of the recommendations for the prevention of this disorder. Understanding risk factors and adherence to the prevention strategies described seek to reduce the incidence of iatrogenic urethral stricture.