45-year-old Sultan Ay, who underwent multiple surgeries and radiotherapy treatments due to cancer 15 years ago, developed a serious stenosis in his urinary tract years later. Ay, who had difficulty urinating and could not get permanent results from the procedures performed in different centers, was told that she would have to use a catheter for years.
Ay, who has been looking for a solution for about 7 years, consulted Urology Specialists Prof. from Medipol Mega University Hospital. Dr. Mustafa Gürkan Yenice and Assoc. Dr. He applied to Yavuz Onur Danacıoğlu. Following the evaluations, the urinary tract was reconstructed using healthy tissue taken from the inside of the cheek. Prof. Dr. Yenice and Assoc. Dr. Danacıoğlu explained all the details of the process.
'STENOSIS DEVELOPING AFTER RADIOTHERAPY MADE HIS LIFE DIFFICULT'
Stating that urinary tract stenosis in women is a problem that is not talked about frequently but can seriously affect the quality of life, Prof. Dr. Yenice said that this situation can develop after radiotherapy, previous surgeries or repeated interventions. Prof. Dr. Yenice said, “Dilatation and endoscopic methods often provide temporary relief, but do not offer a permanent solution.”
Prof. stated that tissue taken from inside the cheek can be used to provide a more permanent solution for patients. Dr. Yenice said, "The healthy mucosa taken from the inside of the cheek is placed in the narrowed urethra segment to create a permanent and wide urinary canal. The oral mucosa is a tissue that is compatible with a moist environment, durable and has a high healing capacity."
'REGULAR CHECK IS IMPORTANT FOR SUCCESS'
Stating that urinary tract stenosis in women can significantly affect the quality of life, Prof. Dr. Yenice said that the success rates of the applied method can generally reach up to 90 percent in published series, but this rate may be lower in patients with a history of radiotherapy. For this reason, emphasizing that patient selection and surgical experience are important, Yenice stated that regular post-operative checks are also important for the permanence of the result obtained.
'THE TREATMENTS DID NOT PROVIDE PERMANENT BENEFIT'
Assoc. Prof. stated that the patient had previously been tried to be treated with closed methods in different centers, but no permanent results were obtained. Dr. Danacıoğlu said, "Our patient had serious difficulty in urinating for a long time due to urethral stenosis that developed after radiotherapy. Closed surgical interventions were previously performed in different centers, but no permanent benefit was achieved."
Assoc. Prof. stated that tissues that have undergone radiotherapy can make treatment difficult. Dr. Danacıoğlu said, "Our patient was included in one of the most challenging groups in terms of surgery, as blood flow and healing capacity decreased in the tissues that received radiotherapy."
'HE WAS DISCHARGED THE NEXT DAY OF THE SURGERY'
Assoc. Prof. stated that the patient started to return to his daily life in a short time after the surgery. Dr. Danacıoğlu said, "Our patient was discharged the day after the surgery and we received his catheter on the 10th day. During the check-ups, we saw that the new urinary tract was open and our patient could urinate easily."
Stating that it was also important for them that a patient who had been looking for a solution for a long time was able to urinate normally again, Danacıoğlu said, "The fact that a patient who had been looking for a solution for a long time was able to urinate normally again was a very valuable result for both our patient and our team. We will see our patient again in the 6th month and continue our checks."
'For YEARS I WAS TOLD A LIFETIME PROBATE'
Explaining the process he went through, 45-year-old Sultan Ay stated that the obstruction in his urinary tract appeared after the cancer treatments he had about 15 years ago and said, "I came to this situation because of the surgeries I had due to a cancer I had 15 years ago. In all the hospitals I went to for treatment for years, doctors told me, 'You will insert and remove the catheter, you will use the catheter, and there is no cure for this. You will live with this catheter for the rest of your life.'"
Explaining that he felt very tired because he was constantly given the same answer, Ay said, "There is no doctor I haven't seen or gone to the hospital with for 7 years. But I was very tired of all of them always giving the same answer as if they agreed."
'I TRUSTED MY TEACHER YAVUZ AND SURRENDERED MYSELF TO HIM'
Stating that he came to the hospital with the guidance of his son, Sultan Ay stated that his first meeting was an important turning point for him and said, "Thanks to our teacher Yavuz, from the first moment we entered his room, I surrendered to him with his smiling face, sympathy, sincerity and confidence. I said, 'Sir, I am with you now'."
Stating that his doctor and his team paid close attention to him during the treatment process, Ay said, "I am in a very good condition now, thanks to their efforts and the treatments they gave. They did really serious research. The thing I liked most about my teacher was that he said, 'Even if I don't know, let me talk to you, Ms. Sultan, I will get back to you.' This sentence impressed me a lot. May God bless him."
