An interventional study of holmium laser and cold knife in Stricture Urethra, Holmium Laser and Recurrence, sponsored by Shahida Islam Medical Complex. Completed at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to male participants aged 18 Years to 70 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-21.
Sponsored by Shahida Islam Medical Complex · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The goal of this study is to assess the efficacy of optical internal urethrotomy, which uses a holmium laser in comparison to a cold knife, in treating short-segment urethral strictures in our local setting. The study will help standardize treatment protocols for urethral stricture based on functional results. The local findings will encourage adoption of minimally invasive laser techniques in public hospitals, improving access to modern urologic care. The study will help in informed decision making, enabling patients to understand treatment options and their expected outcomes based on evidence.
Urethral stricture, one of the earliest known urologic conditions, is still prevalent and challenging to cure. It is a common illness with a high morbidity rate; its estimated frequency is around 0.6% in industrialized areas and may be higher in developing regions. The various therapeutic options are influenced by depth, location, and length of scarring of stricture. These include electrocautery, cold-knife urethrotomy, and other laser treatments.3 These have gained particular popularity in the last 20 years.
A cold-knife incision may cause mechanical injuries that could lead to recurrence while preventing thermal damage to the surrounding tissues. On the other hand, recurrence of strictures and severe heat injury are possible outcomes of electrocautery. The Holmium:YAG (Ho:YAG) laser has been the most widely used laser treatment in recent years due to its precision and efficacy. After carefully advancing the Sachse Urethrotome to the stricture site, the stricture is incised using the 12 o'clock position technique until it is sufficiently treated.6 A range of lasers, such as carbon dioxide, argon, yttrium aluminum-garnet (YAG), neodymium (Nd), and holmium (Ho):YAG, are also used to treat the urethral strictures. The Ho:YAG laser is gaining popularity as an endourology method due to its high precision and minimal heat impact on surrounding tissues.
72 studies on the registry are indexed under Urethral Stricture; 25 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 60 is close to the median of 60 across 56 interventional studies indexed under Urethral Stricture.
Browse Urethral Stricture studies →Shahida Islam Medical Complex is the lead sponsor of 8 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
in holmium laser urethrotomy procedure, a laser fiber is passed through a cystoscope, and precise incisions are made in the stricture, usually at the 12 o'clock position, to widen the lumen
Device: holmium laser
In cold-knife urethrotomy procedure, a cystoscope is passed into the urethra, and a cold knife is utilized for incising the stricture at 12 o'clock position to widen the narrowed lumen to restore normal urine flow
Device: cold knife
in holmium laser urethrotomy procedure, a laser fiber is passed through a cystoscope, and precise incisions are made in the stricture, usually at the 12 o'clock position, to widen the lumen
In cold-knife urethrotomy procedure, a cystoscope is passed into the urethra, and a cold knife is utilized for incising the stricture at 12 o'clock position to widen the narrowed lumen to restore normal urine flow
Mean Peak urinary flow rate
Urinary flow in ml/sec will be measured on uroflowmetry on enrollment and 30-days post-operatively
Time frame: 30 days
Plan to share: No
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This study is completed, as verified in Apr 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Shahida Islam Medical Complex