Urethral Dilators Market (By Usage: Disposable, Reusable; By Application: Urethral Stricture, Meatal Stenosis, Kidney Stone Removal; By End-user) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, Revenue, Regional Outlook and Forecast 2022-2030

The global urethral dilators market was estimated at USD 218.8 million in 2021 and it is expected to surpass around USD 360.99 million by 2030, poised to grow at a CAGR of 5.72% from 2022 to 2030.

Report Highlights

• In 2021, the disposable segment held the largest revenue share of over 60.02% and is expected to expand at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. 
• The hospitals segment dominated the global market in 2021 and accounted for a revenue share of more than 40.04%. 
• The home care settings segment is expected to expand at the fastest CAGR of 6.6% from 2022 to 2030. 
• The urethral stricture segment held the largest revenue share of over 50.2%.
• North America held the largest revenue share of over 30.06% in 2021. 
• Asia Pacific is estimated to exhibit the highest CAGR of 6.5% over the forecast period. 

Rising cases of urinary stones and urinary tract infections and growing demand for cost-effective procedures for dilation are expected to propel the growth of the market. Rise in the population suffering from urethral stricture and meatal stenosis is expected to enhance the industry growth. Urethral stricture is a common problem and is usually caused by scar tissue forming near the urethra, often after surgery or illness. These factors have led to an increase in the sale of urethral dilators in the market.

The market has been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as the majority of elective urological procedures were postponed to free-up limited space in healthcare settings to treat COVID-19 patients. For instance, a recently published survey from the European Association of Urology Section of Uro-technology found that the bed occupancy in the urological departments was reduced by 48.6% in order to hospitalize COVID-19 patients, and clinical activities were halted in 54.2% of the hospitals. However, COVID-19 patients have subsequently shown new or worsening symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB), which might be expected to create a favorable environment for industry growth in the near future.

Scope of The Report

Usage Insights

In 2021, the disposable segment held the largest revenue share of over 60.02% and is expected to expand at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. Disposable urethral dilators are intended for one-time use and are considered a cost-effective alternative to reusable ones. In terms of safety and quality, they are preferred over reusable ones. Additionally, these can help reduce the risk of contamination and transmission of infection from one patient to another. All these advantages are expected to boost segment growth over the forecast period.

Moreover, in the case of reusable dilators, proper cleaning and disinfection as per the FDA guidelines are very much necessary to avoid the transmission of any kind of infection from one patient to another. The risk of infection transmission is comparatively less than disposable ones owing to which healthcare professionals mostly prefer disposable urethral dilators. Furthermore, the presence of many key players that offer disposable urethral dilators is anticipated to drive the segment over the forecast period. Thus, all these aforementioned factors are contributing to the segment growth.

Additionally, rising cases of HAIs are another significant factor anticipated to propel industry growth during the forecast period. For instance, the WHO reports that 7 out of 100 hospitalized patients in developed countries and 10 in developing countries develop at least one HAI. In addition, roughly 30% of patients in ICU are affected by at least one HAIs in high-income countries. Hence, hospitals and other healthcare facilities are seeking the adoption of disposable medical devices to curb the infection rate in medical facilities, thereby contributing to the segment growth.

End-user Insights

The hospitals segment dominated the global market in 2021 and accounted for a revenue share of more than 40.04%. The segment growth is mostly due to an increase in the number of patients suffering from various urological diseases, which has resulted in an increase in surgical treatments. For instance, according to the Urology Care Foundation, around 33 million people are living with overactive bladder and a quarter to a third of men and women suffer from UI in the U.S. Hospitals provide efficient and effective patient care, maintain a safe environment, and offer extensive services. Thus, hospitals are expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period. Moreover, hospitals see a substantially higher inflow of patients for urological procedures or other treatments than other healthcare settings owing to the simplicity of managing any emergencies that may develop during surgical procedures and the availability of a wide range of treatment alternatives. As a result, the hospital segment is likely to be driven by the aforementioned variables.

The home care settings segment is expected to expand at the fastest CAGR of 6.6% from 2022 to 2030. The patient-friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and safety associated with these devices are contributing to their growing popularity at home. In addition, rising hospital costs make home care a better option, especially for the elderly population. According to a 2018 report by the WHO, the global population aged 60 years and older is expected to reach 2 billion by 2050. Since prostate cancer, urethral stricture, and bladder obstruction in the elderly are major health concerns globally, this is expected to present a significant growth opportunity for the market over the forecast period. A range of urethral or meatal dilators has been deployed to perform self-dilation at home or in privacy to keep the urethral passage open and prevent the recurrence of urethral stricture or other urethral obstructions. Thus, the advancements and availability of urethral dilators to use at home are boosting the demand for urethral dilators in home care settings. Its cost-effectiveness also makes it feasible for patients in developed and developing economies.

Application Insights

The urethral stricture segment held the largest revenue share of over 50.2% in 2021 owing to the rising cases of urinary tract infections, advances in the development of therapeutics to treat urinary strictures, and public-private partnerships to raise awareness, and increasing penetration of large companies in emerging markets. Urethral strictures are usually the result of inflammation and injury from repeated medical procedures such as catheters or surgery or infection, which cause scarring/ narrowing in or around the urethra that can block the flow of urine. Associated risk factors include urinary tract infections, wall thickening, hydronephrosis, and stone formation in the urinary bladder. This is expected to boost the segment growth over the forecast period.

The kidney stone removal segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate of 6.4% during the forecast period. The rising adoption of minimally invasive procedures and high-risk factors that cause kidney stones, such as diabetes, obesity, and renal dysfunction, are major contributors to the segment growth. For instance, over the last 30 years, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has shown a rising trend in the prevalence of kidney stones. Renal dilators are used for the dilatation of nephrostomy tract before the percutaneous kidney stone removal. This, in turn, is anticipated to fuel the industry growth over the forecast period. Moreover, the ease of usage, noninvasive nature, cost-effectiveness, and great efficacy in the treatment of stones are the benefits of using dilators during the process. Furthermore, these procedures can be conducted in outpatient departments because of the shorter turnaround time. All these advantages are expected to propel the demand over the forecast period.

Regional Insights

North America held the largest revenue share of over 30.06% in 2021. The regional market is mainly driven by the rising incidence of targeted diseases, such as bladder obstruction, UI, Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH), urinary retention, and bladder cancer. For instance, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), more than 250,000 patients with BPH undergo surgical procedures every year. This condition may occur due to aging or trauma/injury to the penis, urethra, or bladder, and is also associated with pregnancy. Moreover, the high purchasing power of consumers and increased adoption of advanced technologies and innovative medical devices are expected to drive the market. Also, the presence of public and private funding initiatives, especially in the U.S., to create awareness regarding advanced devices is a key growth factor. These initiatives, including the U.S. Affordable Care Act (ACA), focus on reducing the cost of medical devices. This is expected to drive the market in the region over the forecast period.

Asia Pacific is estimated to exhibit the highest CAGR of 6.5% over the forecast period. This can be attributed to the presence of a large population suffering from kidney and other urological diseases, improvement in medical facilities, and the availability of insurance policies. Moreover, the presence of a large patient pool and growing need for technologically advanced and cost-efficient healthcare solutions are expected to present significant regional growth opportunities. For instance, according to the Japan Times Ltd., in September 2021, the number of people aged 65 and up in Japan reached a new high of 36.4 million, resulting in hospitalization. Thus, these factors are expected to boost the growth of the industry in this region during the forecast period.

Key Players

• B. Braun Melsungen AG
• BD
• Cook Medical
• MED pro Medical BV
• Teleflex Inc.
• UROMED
• Boston Scientific Corporation
• Smiths Medical (ICU Medical)
• Urovision-Urotech
• Coloplast

Market Segmentation

• By Usage Outlook
• Disposable
• Reusable
• By Application Outlook
• Urethral Stricture
• Meatal Stenosis
• Kidney Stone Removal
• Others
• By End-user Outlook
• Hospitals
• Clinics
• Ambulatory Surgical Center
• Home Care Settings
• By Regional Outlook
• North America

• U.S.
• Canada
• Europe
• U.K.
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• Japan
• China
• India
• South Korea
• Australia
• Latin America
• Brazil
• Mexico
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE