Uttarbasti – a medicinal oil-based treatment of urethral stricture

What is it?

See: http://urethralstricture-cure-in-ayurved.com/  (Uttarbasti is introduction of Sesame oil + Honey + Rock salt into urethra). Basically a glass syringe 40ml is used for this purpose.

Alternative (see this), “Medicated oil or decoction is introduced into the urinary bladder with the help of a rubber catheter through the urethral opening under aseptic conditions.”

A further ayurvedic doctor uses “disposable feeding tube no. 9“. This post claims that INFANT FEEDING TUBE can be used. [This Hindi blog post also describes its results – but no proof is offered]

Note that the size of a meatus is around 0.3 inches (this study). There is a video on Youtube that shows how this is done.

MY EXPERIENCE

I had a sub-meatal stricture and attempted this myself (pretty straightforward with a standard 5mm or 10 mm plastic syringe from the pharmacy). In my case this therapy DID NOT WORK. It did not slow down the rapid recurrence of the stricture after urethrotomy.

I therefore needed to get urethroplasty done – which has worked.

Papers that claim that uttarbasti works:

K. Rajeshwar Reddy’s study

This seems to be a tolerable quality paper: Clinical evaluation of Apamarga-Ksharataila Uttarabasti in the management of urethral stricture

Even though this study is published by a shoddy journal (An international quarterly journal of research in ayurveda), it is featured on the website of the US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. That doesn’t make it a good study, but perhaps its results can be considered – with a pinch of salt.

In the present study, total 60 patients of urethral stricture were divided into two groups and treated with Uttarabasti (Group A) and urethral dilatation (Group B). The symptoms like obstructed urine flow, straining, dribbling and prolongation of micturation were assessed before and after treatment. The results of the study were significant on all the parameters.

Basically, uttarbasti works in the short term as well as dilation but has SIGNIFICANTLY fewer rates of recurrence.

But note that patients selected for this study had “mild to moderate” stricture. No one had a severe stricture.

Rajendra H Amilkanthwar’s work

Rajendra H Amilkanthwar is probably the most prominent ayurvedic doctor to make this claim. He got a clinical trial approved by the US government in 2007 but DID NOT COMPLETE IT. His claims (which clearly did not qualify the stringent requirements of the US government) are published in a paper: Role of uttarbasti in management of mutra marga sankoch (urethral stricture) – Rajendra H Amilkanthawar

Interestingly, he claims that his research has been uploaded on the US government website, which seems to be false:
The author is working as a assistant professor in the subject of Shalyatantra (Surgery in Ayurveda) from last twenty years in Govt. Ayurvedic Colleges in Maharashtra state. He has previously worked at Nagpur & Osmanabad and currently working at Govt. Ayurved College, Nanded in Maharashtra, India.
He is involved in the field of research since 1992. He is working in the field of urology applying the innovative techniques from Ayurveda – the traditional health science of India. With special interest in Urethral Stricture, he has treated over 1500 patients from India and abroad. He has got immense success with the procedure of Uttarbasti in the condition of urethral stricture. Over 95 % patients have been cured.
Research work was accepted by NISCAIR and published in Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge (IPC Int.Cl7 : A61K35/78; A61K25/00; A61P13/02; A61P13/00.
The work has been conducted under the scheme of Research Fellowship for Teachers, sponsored by Maharashtra University of Health Science, Nashik. The work has been successfully completed and uploaded on clinical trials.gov, an official website of National Institute of Health of US. [Sanjeev: this claim is false, since no completed work has been uploaded]
Research work presented in MASICON surgeons’ conference and many national and international conferences. [Source]

A further case study:

Case report: “Management of urethral stricture with Uttara Basti”  by Dr. T.S. Dudhamal, Dr. S.K. Gupta, Prof. C. Bhuyan

This one takes a single case and is not robust. It also does not undertake longer term follow up.

Further:

A case study here that is very sketchy, refers to some ayurvedic medicines and has no formal documentation.

Further:

Pre and post procedural urethrography was carried out in all patients. Findings of urethrography revealed increase in the caliber of urethral lumen. Pre and post procedural urine flow rate was recorded. Pre procedural average urine flow rate was 30-50ml/10sec while after completion it improved up to 140-160ml/10sec. No post procedural complications, delayed complications and adverse effects were observed. [Source]

See this.

In this webpage, two self-declared auyurvedic doctors say that uttarbasti can reduce symptoms but won’t cure them. Plus Uttarbasti has HIGH RISK OF INFECTION.

Centres that claim to use this method to treat patients:

http://www.cureurethralstricture.com/uttarbasti.html

Most of the patients require ten sittings which are usually done on alternate days. 

Total duration of treatment is approximately 20 days.

Sunil Kahlekar

A doctor sunil kahalekar cured a patient who reported this on youtube.

This patient wrote a blog post on in which Sunil was cited.

His details.

INJECTING OILS OR OTHER THINGS INTO THE PENIS TIP

Uttarbasti involves injecting oil + honey into the urethtra through the penis tip.

Likewise here is a person who has injected hydrogen peroxide into his penis tip [You’ll need to find a 4 to cc syringe,…a plastic one preferred, so you can easily round off the sharp EDGE of it’s output,..so that when you insert it into your urethra/end of penis or in women the other part. You dilute the 3% Hydro to 1.5% via tap water. From that solution in a small cup, or premixed as 1.5%, in an old Hydrogen Peroxide container.
Draw into your syringe at least 2 CC’s of this 1.5%,…and after urinating inject this amount into your Urethra, up into and past the Prostate, or if  you figure the infection is below, in or above the rostate,..simply feel for what will be instant relief, as the 1.5% starts to bubble away at the infection. Hold the tip of the Syringe SEALED in the end of the Penis/womens part,.. and keep it sealed against the syringe tip, by clamping the end of the penis closed, clsing the emptied end of the syringe as the Urethra plug. Hold this dilute solution of Peroxide in your Urethra for 25 to 35 seconds,..and then removing the plug/syringe, as you will have a sensation of peeing, as part of the infection fluids and 1.5% hydrogen peroxide are expelled. Repeat this twice in the morning”

Further:

There is a claim made by someone (a patent) that a herbal mixture can cure strictures.

Homeopathic treatment

While on this subject, there seems to be some claims on the internet that homeopathy has reduced the need for dilation: https://hubpages.com/health/Homeopathy-Safe-Natural-Cure-For-Urethral-Strictures

• but a couple of patients admitted it didn’t work; and finally had to undergo the plasty operation.

Aloe vera for urethral stricture

I’ve had superb results with aloe vera and have used it virtually everywhere – including for an anal fissure (which medicine could not cure). I have also applied aloe vera AND honey directly into my eye and it had only a positive effect (although in my case this was unnecessary since the cause was unrelated to the eyes: it had to do with cheek muscles).

Aloe Meatal Catheter: http://hunterurology.com/products/5-aloe-meatal-catheter– Clearly someone has already got the idea of using aloe vera as a coating for urinary stricture.

Note that there is a medicine alprostadil that is inserted into the meatus: See this (including diagrams). This video shows how it is done.

Overall it is evident that if done safely and with elimination of bacterial contamination, insertion of a small object into the meatus is safe.