BackgroundUrethral strictures have affected men for millennia, and they are commonly iatrogenic, idiopathic or traumatic in nature. When left untreated, urethral strictures can devastate the health and function of the urinary tract. For centuries, simple urethral dilation and endoscopic urethrotomy have provided temporary relief. However, in only the past 20 years, urethroplasty has emerged as a curative treatment.