Efficacy and safety of Optilume® paclitaxel-coated urethral dilatation balloon in real-life: experience in a Spanish multicenter study.

Introduction: The Optilume® Paclitaxel-coated urethral dilatation balloon is an alternative to conventional endoscopic treatments that combines mechanical dilatation with local delivery of paclitaxel.

Objective: To describe the success rate and analyze the safety of the device in real clinical practice. To evaluate possible predictors of treatment failure.

Materials and methods: Retrospective multicenter study in patients diagnosed with urethral stricture and treated with an Optilume® balloon in routine clinical practice. Data were collected from flowmetry, questionnaires (PROM and IPSS) and cystoscopy before surgery, and 3, 6 and 12 months after the procedure, according to standard practice. Surgical success was defined as the absence of subsequent urethral manipulation and a Qmax >10 ml/s.

Results: 238 patients treated with Optilume® in 12 Spanish hospitals between May 2021 and April 2024 were included in the study. Of these, 156 who had a minimum follow-up of 3 months, were analyzed. Median stricture length: 1.5 cm (0.5-5.3), mainly in bulbar urethra (87.7%). Of the total, 12.8% of patients had a history of pelvic radiotherapy, and 81.4% had undergone prior urethral manipulation. Postoperative complications were reported in 14.2% of the total. The treatment success rate was 73.8%, with a median follow-up of 8 months (5-12). No predictors of stricture recurrence were identified. Recurrence rates were higher in strictures located in the posterior versus anterior urethra (42.9% vs. 24.6%, p = 0.126). No significant differences were observed between patients with and without prior urethral manipulation.

Conclusion: Treatment with Optilume® has been shown to be safe and effective in short-term routine clinical practice.