Dilatation of urethral strictures is sometimes recommended following a surgical procedure which results in a tightening or narrowing of the urethra (drainage tube leading from the bladder), usually caused by infection or scar tissue.
Your Health Care Professional (HCP) or Urologist may advise a regime of urethral dilatation where you may be required to perform ISC to ensure that you have satisfactorily dilated one or more urethral stricture(s). This may necessitate passing the catheter into the bladder and when urine begins to drain, the dilatation is complete.
If a stricture is present lower down the male urethra a simple dilatation catheter may be required which does not need to be inserted as far as the bladder. This catheter does not have drainage eyelets.
Meatal dilatation may be required following an infection or minor surgery, resulting in narrowing or tightening of the first few centimetres of the opening in to the male urethra (penis). This may result in a poor or restricted flow of urine or spraying of urine, depending on the extent of the stricture.
A short tube, (Meatal Dilator) with a tapered or bullet tip, has no drainage eyelets, and is inserted into the stricture to maintain patency and improve the flow of urine. The frequency of dilatation will be determined by your Urologist or nurse HCP. Meatal strictures are more common in men and occasionally in children.
Dilatation catheters, dilators and meatal dilators have a hydrophilic coating which becomes hydrated and lubricated when water is added to the packaging.
A tapered tip may be preferable and more comfortable to use especially when dilating a narrow meatal stricture. The stricture is dilated gradually as the tapered tip progresses into the stricture.
Six charrier sizes are available 8-18 Ch for paediatric and adult dilatation. The size can gradually be increased as the stricture is dilated to ensure the stricture remains patent.