UP hospital claims lab-grown cell therapy used for urethral stricture treatment

Lucknow, a 30-year-old Lucknow resident has become the first patient in Uttar Pradesh to undergo a groundbreaking treatment using lab-grown cells for urethral stricture, a condition involving narrowing of the urinary passage. The innovative method, claimed by Apollomedics Hospital in Lucknow, could provide a minimally invasive alternative to traditional procedures such as buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty and endoscopic urethrotomy.

In the pioneering procedure, a 10 mm by 5 mm tissue sample was harvested from the patient's cheek and cultured in a laboratory in Pune into nearly 50 lakh living cells over a span of two weeks. The cells, viable for approximately 72 hours, were transported under cold chain conditions to Lucknow, where they were mixed with liquid thrombin and delivered endoscopically to the affected area after a small incision was made.

The cells then adhered to the wound, promoting tissue healing and potentially reducing recurrent scar formation.

The entire surgical process was reportedly completed in just 15-20 minutes, with the patient discharged the following day. Dr. Mayank Mohan Agrawal, Director and Head of Urology and Kidney Transplant at Apollomedics Hospital, stated that the success rate of the new technique was estimated at 70-80 percent, comparable to open surgery. He further added that the procedure would benefit elderly patients and those with multiple health conditions by avoiding large incisions and reducing recovery time.