Urethral strictures and aortic surgery. Suprapubic rather than urethral catheters.

Urethral strictures associated with the use of a urethral catheter may be more common after cardiac and aortic surgery when compared with other surgical procedures. The reasons for this are obscure. Fifty-two aortic procedures in males from 1980-1983 were reviewed with an incidence of urethral stricture of 21%. Forty anterior resections of the rectum in which a urethral catheter was used were also reviewed with an incidence of urethral stricture of only 5%. Since 1985 supra-pubic catheters have been used now in over 200 aortic procedures with no morbidity and no urethral stricture. Bacteriuria has been significantly reduced by the use of supra-pubic catheters and there would appear to be considerable advantages in the use of this technique.