As men become older, the actual urethra often becomes smaller in diameter and this may result in the retention of urine, thus compelling the doctor responsible for treatment to slit the urethra at the point where the constriction is situated, i.e. to perform what is known as the opening of a stricture. Since the wound contracts in the course of healing, there is a danger that the open passage through the urethra which has been created will grow together again or will become very much restricted.
To prevent the opening through the stricture growing together again this way, it has already been suggested that an implant liner be inserted in the opening through the stricture by means of an endoscope. The implant liner remains in the opening until the wound has healed and is then withdrawn again through the urethra from the healed opening by means of the endoscope. In this known endoscope, in addition to a telescope having a light conductor, there is also a parallel tube extending through the barrel of the endoscope, for a longitudinally displaceable shaft having forceps jaws at the distal end which spread open resiliently and by means of which an implant liner is gripped, inserted through the urethra and placed in the opening through the stricture, where it is released by moving the shaft of the forceps.
The liner advantageously consists of plastics material and it has been found extremely difficult to insert it because the telescope is situated alongside the guide for the forceps jaws, and also that with this design the barrel of the endoscope is of undersirably large diameter.
It is an object of the invention to enable a liner to be safely inserted in an opening through a stricture which has previously been made by slitting, while at all times under satisfactory observation and using a barrel of reduced diameter.