A new device for an old problem
==inizio abstract==
We present a new device for a temporary treatment of male and female urethral strictures. Urethral strictures represent a very old problem in the urological practice and, admittedly, urological diseases are old as mankind.The new device presented in this paper represents a simple, not invasive and elegant solution to a very frequent issue in the urological practice: complex catheterism due to urethral stricture. Coping with a difficult catheterism due to urethral stricture is one of the more frequent clinical problems in urological practice and may reveal very difficult and request flexible urethrocystoscopy with passage of a guide wire through the urethral stricture. We have also have to keep in our mind that urologist is often the last resource after many attempts of catheterism and he can find a very damaged urethra with contemporary urethrorragy.
In the past, in case of difficult catheterism,we were used to pass a modified Mercier catheter, cut on the tip, with a guide wire inside the catheter, . On the guide wire passed beyond the stricture, we passed the catheter into the bladder. We retired the Mercier catheter and carried on with the passage on guide wire of a silicone Foley catheter pierced on the tip with a needle. The most important shortcoming of this handicraft procedure was abrasiveness of the tip of the catheter with potential damage of urethral wall. To provide this drawback, we have conceived a solution to this problem which consents the passage of catheter in a large number of complex catheterism.
==fine abstract==