Low-Power Holmium Laser Therapy for Urethral Strictures at Ninh Thuan Province General Hospital, Vietnam

INTRODUCTION: Urethral stricture is a common urological disease characterized by a narrowing of the urethra leading to functional changes that reduce or completely block urine flow from the kidney to the bladder. This condition significantly affects the patient's quality of life and can lead to serious complications, such as urethral dilatation and hydronephrosis, which may result in irreversible kidney failure if left untreated. METHODS: This was an observational cross-sectional study conducted on 35 patients, treated for urethral stricture at the Department of Uro-nephrology Surgery, Ninh Thuan Province General Hospital, from January to October 2023. RESULTS: All enrolled patients underwent urethral stricture endoscopic incision using holmium laser, and were followed up at 1 and 3 months postoperatively. The difference in the degree of hydronephrosis on CT scans before and after surgery at 3 months was statistically significant (p < 0.01). DISCUSSION: To report the safety and efficacy outcomes of holmium laser urethrotomy for the treatment of urethral stricture, patients underwent internal urethrotomy with holmium laser energy, with an average age of 47.7 ± 15.8 years (range: 15-72 years). Thirty patients (85.7%) underwent urological surgery, 3 (8.6%) underwent obstetric and gynecological surgery, and 2 (5.7%) had unknown etiologic causes. CONCLUSION: The use of the holmium laser for the management of urethral strictures has been found to be safe and effective, ensuring shorter operating times, a lower recurrence rate, and fewer serious postoperative complications.