Vascular complications of transurethral incision of post-traumatic urethral strictures.

Retrograde or antegrade transurethral incision of urethral strictures that have formed after complete rupture of the membranous urethra has been advocated to restore urethral continuity. With this technique we encountered vascular complications in 2 patients, which consisted of opening of a patent vessel entrapped in the fibrous tissue of the stricture. The opened vein in 1 patient healed without bleeding. The opened artery in the other patient did not heal with catheter drainage and pressure dressings, resulting in recurrent severe hemorrhage that necessitated stage 1 urethroplasty with ligation of the artery. The entrapment of a patent vessel in fibrous scar tissue resulting from complete urethral rupture is believed to be responsible for these complications.