|
Trauma and Urogenital Reconstructive Surgery |
 |
 |
Conditions and Treatments
About 10 percent of all injuries seen in the emergency room involve the genitourinary tract, including the kidneys, bladder, genitals, ureters and urethra. The urethra is the tube -- beginning at the bladder and extending through the prostate gland, perineum and penis -- through which urine and semen leaves the body.
If the urethra is injured, a person may develop urethra obstructions or strictures. Urethral strictures occur when the urethra is injured or scarred by an infection and then narrows. As a result, problems with the normal passage of urine and semen can develop.
In many cases, urethral and genitourinary tract injuries are caused by some sort of accident, such as a car or industrial accident, serious fall, sporting mishap or gunshot wound. Injuries also may occur unintentionally during a difficult surgical procedure on an adjacent organ. Unfortunately, they can result in serious long-term problems. However, there are a variety of effective treatments available for and urethral injuries, including surgical repair and the placement of catheters.
To learn more, see:
Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated May 8, 2007
|
|
