[Female urethral obstruction and bladder neck stenosis - fact or myth - how to proceed]

The female urethra is probably the most neglected organ in women. Female urethral stricture and primary bladder neck obstruction are rare clinical entities. Traditional and new surgical techniques have been described for the treatment of female urethral stricture. However, they are based on limited data. There is no consensus on best management. The techniques of urethroplasty all have a higher mean success rate (80-94%) than urethral dilatation (< 50%), albeit with shorter mean follow-up. Urethroplasty performed by experienced surgeons appears to be a feasible option in women who have failed urethral dilatation, although there is a lack of high-level evidence to recommend one technique over another.Primary bladder neck obstruction (PBNO) is a condition in which the bladder neck fails to open adequately during voiding. This leads to increased striated sphincter activity or obstruction of urinary flow without another anatomic cause being present, for example an obstruction caused by genitourinary prolapse in women. Watchful waiting, pharmacotherapy and surgical intervention are possible treatments.

[Functional anatomy of the female pelvic floor: interdisciplinary continence and pelvic floor surgery]

Knowledge of functional anatomy is a prerequisite for the safe and targeted reconstructive therapy of incontinence and the prolapse syndrome of the female pelvic floor. We illustrate the interaction of muscles and connective tissue of the pelvic floor with anatomical illustrations and demonstrate their impact on the function of the urethra, bladder, vagina, uterus and rectum. Examples for the therapeutic rationale for a surgical reconstruction of the pelvic floor are defined and justified from their functional anatomy.