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Making a new urethra - News story

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Posted 3/8/2011 4:30 AM (GMT -5)
Given that all those who have had surgery have had about two inches of urethra removed and some have had theirs damaged by radiation etc. is there any chance that guys who have been treated for PCA could be or should be offered a graft to replace/repair things? I just ask as the BBC and others are today reporting the sucess of this new idea.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12666171

This is a quote from the article, and David might be interested to note the last sentence of the quote:

"The world's first tissue-engineered urinary tubes or urethras, grown in the lab using patients' own cells, have been hailed a success by medical experts.

US surgeons have used the lab-grown tubes to treat five Mexican boys with damaged urinary tracts.

They told the Lancet that all of the boys are now fit and that the grafts have taken and repaired the defects.

The same team has already managed to grow new bladders for patients."

Sounds almost too good to be true.

Alf
Posted 3/8/2011 5:26 AM (GMT -5)
Amazing!

I understand from my reading that the lengeth of the urethra the surgeon has to play with after removing the prostate has a strong bearing on the level of incontinance.

I am just imagining the scenario where the urologist grows the urethra in the lab and uses it during the surgery to extend the urethral length thus improving outcome. Wouldn't that be great??

An
Posted 3/9/2011 10:30 PM (GMT -5)
Cool! Let me know when they can do a brian. I'm in the market......
Posted 3/9/2011 10:47 PM (GMT -5)
Alf, does sound too good to be true, I read the article earlier, but sounds promising for the future. Unfortanately, for me, even that technology is too late in my case, even if a new bladder could be replaced in me, my new urinary system is not reversible. Good article though.

David
Posted 3/10/2011 11:06 AM (GMT -5)
Interesting, I never thought about that much of the urethra having been removed. Makes sense, though, since it passed through the prostate. So does the bladder move down to make up the difference, or does the remaining urethra stretch out?
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