It is a narrowing of the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine out of the body from the bladder. Urethral strictures can occur in men and women, but they are more common in men.

Urethral strictures are usually caused by scar tissue or inflammation, which can narrow the urethra and restrict the flow of urine.

Common causes of urethral strictures include:

1. Previous trauma to the urethra, such as from a catheter or injury
2. Infection or inflammation of the urethra or prostate gland
3. Radiation therapy to the pelvic area
4. Sexually transmitted infections, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia

Symptoms of urethral strictures can include:

1. Difficulty starting urination
2. Weak urine stream
3. Pain or burning during urination
4. Incomplete emptying of the bladder
5. Urinary tract infections
6. Urinary incontinence

Treatment for urethral strictures may include:

1. Visual Internal Urethrotomy(VIU): This is a minimally invasive procedure that involves making a small incision in the urethra with endoscopic cold knife/ LASER to widen the area. Patient is taught self caliberation of urethra postoperatively to be done daily. It is inserting small urethral catheter to be inserted daily in urethra once to keep widened passage intact. This procedure has 30-70% success rate depending on length, severity of stricture & regularity of urethral self caliberation.
2. Urethroplasty: This is a surgical procedure that involves removing the narrowed portion of the urethra and reconstructing the urethra using healthy tissue such as inner lining of tounge. Compared to VIU this is major surgery, requires urethral catheter in situ for 3-4 weeks. Success rate of this procedure are 70-95% over 10 year period.

The choice of treatment depends on the severity and location of the stricture, as well as the patient’s overall health and medical history.