How Do We Assess Success After Surgical Management of Urethral Stricture Disease?

Purpose of ReviewThe aim of this review is to identify contemporary developments in how success is defined after surgical treatment of urethral stricture disease in men and women.Recent FindingsUrethral stricture experts note that a standardized definition of success is necessary to further research within the field. Without a defined protocol, comparisons between techniques and studies are difficult, limiting progress. The studies recognize the limitations of the current available modalities for assessment in the postoperative setting. A definition of success that addresses both objective and patient-reported measures to capture the goals of treatment and an algorithm to identify these factors is yet to be identified.It is recognized that a lack of a definition of success impedes the ability to understand outcomes across studies. Strides are being made to better identify patients with recurrences to understand short-term and long-term outcomes, but also there is a shift towards incorporating patient-reported outcomes into the measurement of success. Outcome measures are important for patient counseling and shared decision making in the preoperative setting and to identify a recurrent stricture in the postoperative setting.