Use of an Absorbable Urethral Stent for the Management of a Urethral Stricture in a Stallion.
Authors: Trela Jan M, Dechant Julie E, Culp William T, Whitcomb Mary B, Palm Carrie A, Nieto Jorge E
Journal: Veterinary surgery : VS
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Absorbable Urethral Stent for Equine Urethral Stricture A 12-year-old Thoroughbred breeding stallion developed a urethral stricture 15 weeks after surgical removal of a urethrolith that had caused uroperitoneum and partial urinary obstruction. When conventional management—an indwelling catheter followed by four balloon dilation attempts—failed to resolve the stricture, the clinical team implanted a 20 mm × 80 mm absorbable polydioxanone stent under percutaneous ultrasound guidance. Serial urethroscopic examinations at 70, 155, and 230 days post-placement confirmed the stent remained patent throughout the healing process, with complete reabsorption evident by 155 days, and follow-up at 20 months demonstrated restoration of normal micturition. This case demonstrates that absorbable stent placement offers a viable minimally invasive alternative to traditional surgical approaches for managing refractory urethral strictures in stallions, potentially preserving breeding function whilst allowing tissue remodelling without the need for stent retrieval. The percutaneous ultrasound-guided technique provides practitioners with a practical intervention when standard dilative therapy proves ineffective, though further clinical experience is needed to establish optimal stent specifications and timing in different stricture presentations.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Absorbable urethral stents represent a viable alternative for managing refractory urethral strictures in stallions when conventional treatments fail
- •Ultrasound-guided percutaneous stent placement offers a minimally invasive approach to stricture management with good long-term outcomes
- •Close endoscopic monitoring (70, 155, and 230 days post-placement) is essential to confirm stent reabsorption and maintained urethral patency
Key Findings
- •Absorbable polydioxanone urethral stent (20 mm × 80 mm) was successfully implanted under ultrasound guidance in a stallion with post-traumatic urethral stricture
- •Stent was completely reabsorbed by 155 days post-implantation with patent urethra maintained throughout
- •Stricture management was successful after failed conservative treatment (indwelling catheter and 4 balloon dilation attempts)
- •Normal urine stream achieved and maintained at 20-month follow-up