[Treatment of urethral stenosis with thermo-expandable prosthesis "Memotherm". Our experience].

Objective: To report our experience in the treatment of recurrent urethral stricture in the male with the Memotherm heat-expansible stent.

Methods: From December 1995 to March 1999, the Memotherm heat-expansible stent was utilized in 4 patients with urethral stricture that had undergone urethrotomy procedures, periodic urethral dilatation and in those cases with post-traumatic stricture, open surgery for urethroplasty and urethral reattachment. All patients had multiple recurrences of the urethral stricture that was not amenable to the treatments utilized, therefore the intraurethral stent was inserted.

Results: All patients had a good postoperative course with unhampered voiding and ample stream. The patients were followed in the outpatient setting by a 6-monthly assessment of micturition and a yearly endoscopic control evaluation to detect hypertrophic growth of the urethral mucosa and/or intraluminal calcification. All the stents were completely enveloped in the urethral wall 12 months after insertion. The only side effects observed was limited postvoid leaking during the first few months following insertion of the prosthesis and one case of transient hemospermia.

Conclusions: The Memotherm intraurethral heat-expansible stent is a valid treatment option for selected cases of recurrent urethral stricture. Although this approach can be utilized before performing urethroplasty, which is often a complicated technique with uncertain results, currently it is a valid treatment option in case of failure.