Hospital treats recurrent urethral stricture with stem cell therapy

Mysuru: Manipal Hospital has treated a recurrent urethral stricture in a 30-year-old male patient using a minimally invasive stem cell-based therapy, offering a promising alternative to repeated surgeries.The patient approached Dr Dinesh Kumar TP, consultant-urology and andrology and kidney transplant surgeon, with complaints of difficulty in passing urine and a thin urinary stream. He previously underwent visual internal urethrotomy in Bengaluru, which provided only temporary relief, with symptoms recurring within six months.Explaining the condition, Dr Dinesh said urethral strictures often result from unnoticed trauma, infections or inflammation, leading to scar tissue formation that narrows the urinary passage. "Even after surgery, recurrence is common as scar tissue tends to reform," he noted.Instead of opting for conventional open reconstructive surgery, the team chose a minimally invasive regenerative approach. Stem cells were harvested from the patient's oral mucosa and processed at a specialised laboratory. Using a cystoscope and laser, the affected area was treated, and the stem cell solution was injected directly without any external incision. The procedure was completed as a day care treatment.Hospital director Sandeep Patel BJ and chief of medical services Dr Upendra Shenoy said regenerative medicine is transforming the management of complex urological conditions.Following the procedure, the patient showed significant improvement, with good urinary flow and no recurrence at two-month follow-up.