An innovative procedure for patients who have urethral stricture disease has been carried out at Rochdale Infirmary for the first time.
This treatment with Optilume drug-coated balloon is offered to patients who have a narrowing of part, or all of, the urethra (the tube that carries urine outside the body from the bladder).
A typical patient would be males experiencing urinary flow problems, recurrent infections, and frequent urination.
This new technique can help patients avoid having a bigger and more invasive operation and also reduces the need for patients to self catheterise after other treatments for strictures.
The patient was successfully treated by one of our consultant urological surgeons based at Salford Royal Hospital Louise Olson.
Louise said: “I’m really pleased to have treated our first patient and this is testament to the hard work of my colleagues in the department. It will also help create efficiencies within the service as our urology specialist nurses will not have to spend as much time teaching patients how to use a catheter.”
