Urethroplasties

Urethroplasty is surgery performed on your urethra, a part of your urinary system. The urethra is a tube that carries urine from your urinary bladder to the outside of your body. In men, the urethra also carries semen outside of their bodies.

Why is a urethroplasty done?

Urethroplasty is done to repair or replace your urethra when scar tissue forms inside it. Your surgeon connects two ends of your urethra after cutting out the scar tissue, or may borrow tissue elsewhere in your body to rebuild the portion of your urethra that’s blocked.

You may need urethroplasty if:

• You have a urethral stricture. This means that some part of your urethra has become narrower, blocking the flow of urine. Urinary strictures are much more common in men than women.
• You have epispadias or hypospadias, congenital conditions that affect your urethra, which were repaired in childhood. Blockages are especially common in urethras that have previously been rebuilt.
• You’ve had gender affirmation surgery.

Is urethroplasty considered major surgery?

The length of time surgery lasts depends on how much repair work is being done. For instance, a repair that joins two ends of your urethra together takes less time than a repair that requires tissue from another place in your body. If your entire urethra is involved, multiple pieces of tissue can be needed to rebuild the urethra.

Other body tissues used most often to fix a urethra come from:

• Your mouth, from the lining of your cheek or back of your lips. This is called the buccal mucosa.
• Your genitals. If you have a penis, your surgeon might use skin from there. If you’re having gender affirmation surgery, your surgeon might use skin from your vagina or labia.
• Your rectum, via a procedure done through your anus while you’re asleep for surgery.