Optilume is now approved for sale in Canada and New Zealand

1 in 20 men suffer from urethral stricture disease

Are you ready for a different stricture treatment? Ask your urologist about Optilume.

If you suffer from urethral strictures, you’re likely no stranger to the urologist’s office. You may have already tried several treatments that haven’t worked. Failed treatments can feel overwhelming—but there’s a new way.

The Optilume drug-coated balloon (DCB) is an effective alternative to traditional endoscopic stricture treatments, offering minimally invasive, immediate relief. Optilume works by inhibiting new scar tissue growth that often recurs after dilations or DVIU.

Proven Results

After one year, 3 out of 4 patients who received the Optilume treatment were stricture-free. These men, who had failed prior endoscopic treatments, experienced a 290% improvement in urinary flow, an 75% reduction in symptoms and suffered zero serious complications.

Paclitaxel, the drug that coats the balloon, is an antiproliferative drug that has been effectively used in millions of patients worldwide since 1992, in various applications.

1. One-Year Safety and Efficacy Outcomes on a Novel Drug Coated Balloon (DCB) for Urethral Stricture Disease – The ROBUST I Study G. H. Jordan, R. Virasoro, J. DeLong, R. Estrella, M. Pichardo, R. R. Lay, G. Espino, G. Webster, S. Elliot.

At one year, DCB patients experienced a 290% improvement in urinary flow, and nearly 75% were free from recurrence.¹

What is urethral stricture disease?

A urethral stricture is a scar in or around the urethra that can restrict the flow of urine. If left untreated, strictures can lead to serious complications, including bladder and kidney damage, infections, poor ejaculation and infertility in men.

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Common symptoms

Common symptoms include:

Hesitancy when waiting for the stream of urine to begin
Weak or irregular flow
Straining to urinate
Painful urination
A sense of incomplete emptying
Dribbling after urination

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Common causes

Common causes of urethral strictures include:

Medical procedures that involve inserting an instrument, such as an endoscope, into the urethra
Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Latex reactions from Foley catheters
Irritation from Intermittent or long-term catheter use
Trauma or injury to the urethra or pelvis
BPH symptoms or previous surgery to remove or reduce an enlarged prostate gland
Cancer of the urethra or prostate
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

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Current treatment options

Current treatment options:

Intermittent self-catheterization
Some patients may attempt to manage urethral strictures by periodically inserting a catheter into their urethra to keep the scarred area from narrowing. This method can be painful and embarrassing, and requires a constant supply of catheters.

Dilation
Typically, the first line of medical treatment for urethral strictures, dilation involves a doctor inserting rods of increasing diameters into the urethra from the tip of the penis to stretch the narrowing without causing further injury. Many patients find this treatment a short-term solution.

Internal urethrotomy (DVIU)
During DVIU, while the patient is anesthetized, a special scope is inserted into the penis and a surgical incision is made into the urethra to relieve the stricture. This technique has not been shown to be more effective than dilation.

Urethroplasty A urethroplasty involves surgical removal of the stricture and reconstruction of the urethra by cutting into the penis. Sometimes this involves using a graft from the patient’s mouth. While urethroplasty may offer lasting results, this surgery often takes hours to complete and requires up to 8 weeks of recovery. Furthermore, there are potential complications and side effects, including erectile dysfunction, curvature of the penis and stricture recurrence².

2. Al-Qudah HS, Santucci RA. Extended complications of urethroplasty. NCBI. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16137399. Accessed May 17, 2019.