Sallami 2011.

Methods	Full text. August 2005 ‐ February 2008. Objective: compare intermittent self‐dilatation after optical urethrotomy for urethral stricture using a low‐friction hydrophilic catheter (LoFric) or standard Nelaton polyvinyl chloride (PVC) catheter. States block randomisation. Statistical methods: Life table, log rank, Chi2.
Participants	Tunisia. 62 men with anterior or posterior urethral stricture < 2cm. Age: range 21‐86; mean Control 60.9, Treatment 62 Exclusions: prostate or bladder cancer, patients requiring antibiotic prophylaxis, need for CISC for bladder drainage, incapable of following study protocol.
Interventions	Control: optical urethrotomy then intermittent self‐dilatation with Nelaton catheter (n = 31). Treatment: optical urethrotomy then intermittent self‐dilatation with LoFric catheter (n = 31).
Outcomes	PROs: Ease of use after 6 catheter insertions: 5‐item VAS non‐validated questionnaire (trouble, convenience, pain, comfort, general opinion). Mean pain, comfort and opinion scores favoured LoFric; trouble and convenience NS. Health economic: no Adverse events: Control: 7 (1 prostatitis, 2 bleeding, 4 positive urine culture) Treatment: 1 positive urine culture Acceptability: Number of men who considered the treatment acceptable. Means of assessment of acceptability to patients not described. Control: 7/28 Treatment 30/31 Recurrence rate: Definition of recurrence: flow rate < 14 ml/s Number of men with recurrent urethral stricture 2 years after optical urethrotomy. Control: 7/28 Treatment: 2/31 P = 0.15 Time to recurrence: no.
Notes	intermittent self‐dilatation programme: twice monthly for 3 months then monthly for 1 year Witdrawals: n = 3 Nelaton arm (1 DNA, 2 rUTI). Authors conclude: LoFric catheter significantly increased the degree of comfort and satisfaction and decreased the feeling of pain when the catheter was removed or inserted, when compared with a conventional PVC catheter. Note: Results state only 10/31 in treatment arm able to perform intermittent self‐dilatation at home without problems. Subgroups: no.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	States block randomisation. No further details.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	High risk	Not stated. Probably not done.
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) All outcomes	High risk	Not stated. Probably not done.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	3 control group patients withdrawn (2 UTI, 1 DNA); none from the treatment group.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	High risk	Time to first recurrence analysis stated in Methods but not reported in Results. Results conflict with statement that only 10/31 in treatment arm able to perform intermittent self‐dilatation at home without problems.
Funding/COI	Unclear risk	Not stated.