How is urethral diverticulum treated?

What is the treatment for a urethral diverticulum? The preferred treatment for a urethral diverticulum is surgical excision. These are complex vaginal reconstructive surgeries that should be undertaken by an experienced surgeon. In some cases one may choose not to treat the diverticulum and elect observation.

What is a urethral diverticulum?

Urethral diverticulum (UD) is a condition in which a variably sized “pocket” or outpouching forms next to the urethra. Because it most often connects to the urethra, this outpouching repeatedly gets filled with urine during the act of urination thus causing symptoms.

Is urethral diverticulum painful?

Urethral diverticulum (UD) is a pocket or pouch that forms along the urethra. Because of its location, it can be filled with urine and lead to infections. It is can cause: A painful vaginal mass.

How do you drain a urethral diverticulum?

Place an antibiotic-soaked vaginal pack and place both the suprapubic and urethral catheters to sterile drainage. The use of routine suprapubic tube drainage is left to surgeon discretion, but most experts have reserved suprapubic tube drainage for larger or more complex and extensive diverticula.

How long is recovery after surgery for an urethra diverticulum?

The recovery from UD surgery usually takes two to three weeks. You’ll need to be on antibiotics for up to a week following surgery. You’ll also have a catheter during the recovery process. This is a tube placed in your bladder to help you urinate.

What does the name urethral mean?

The urethra is the tube that carries urine out of the body. This tube can become narrow and cause difficulty and discomfort when a man urinates. This condition is called urethral stricture. In some cases, a urethral stricture may need immediate medical attention.

Does urethra have valves?

The urethra is the tube that drains urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. Posterior urethral valves are small leaflets of tissue in the urethra. They have a narrow, slit-like opening. The valves partly block urine flow because not enough urine can get through them to leave the body.

What is the urethral opening size?

In the human male, the urethra is about 8 inches (20 cm) long and opens at the end of the external urethral meatus. The urethra provides an exit for urine as well as semen during ejaculation.