I'm 35, and I had a hysterectomy at 25. I was diagnosed with urethral stricture in 1996 and have undergone dilation numerous times. I was told I may have to do self-catheterization daily. I can't find any information on this topic for women. What can you tell me about this problem and any possible treatment?

Kim

Urethral stricture means that your urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside) is too narrow. This problem may be congenital (present at birth), or it may result from scarring after surgery or radiation therapy. Dilation, or opening up the narrowed area, is often effective for months or years at a time, but if not, then daily self-catheterization is usually required. This means that you insert a small flexible rubber catheter via the urethra into the bladder regularly in order to empty the bladder. Many people with spinal cord injuries who cannot urinate normally do this.

There are other options. Sometimes the area of stricture is surgically cut or removed; this, however, may lead to additional scarring and reoccurrence of the original problem, or it may cause urinary incontinence. Very rarely, a bladder diversionary procedure is done; this radical surgery requires the wearing of an external bag to collect urine and is most often done only in cases of bladder cancer.

I would imagine you have been seeing a urologist, but if not, you should definitely have a consultation with one. If urinary retention is not treated, the bladder becomes overfull and distended, and urine may back up into the kidneys. This leads to kidney damage or even kidney failure, a very serious condition.