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Urethral dilation is a procedure to stretch the sides of the urethra. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from your bladder to outside your body. Sometimes scar tissue narrows the urethra. This is called urethral stricture.
When the urethra is narrow, it's hard for urine to pass through and out of your body. Dilation often can relieve symptoms by widening the urethra.
To open the narrowed part, the doctor used one or more thin tools to stretch the stricture. The doctor then may have placed a thin, soft tube (catheter) in the urethra to drain urine and to keep the urethra open. The catheter is removed after a few days. After dilation, urine should be able to pass more freely from your bladder.
Your doctor may have shown you how to do dilation at home.
After dilation, your urethra may be sore at first. It may burn when you urinate. You may feel the need to urinate more often, and you may have some blood in your urine. These symptoms should get better in 1 or 2 days. You will probably be able to go back to most of your usual activities in 1 or 2 days. Drink extra water for the next few days.
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