Skip to main content

Otis Bougie-à-Boule

A bougie-à-boule is a urethral exploring instrument with a bulbous distal tip. The bulb can provide tactile information as it passes into and back through a narrowing.

Current catalog form​

The cited Sklar hospital catalog lists a reusable chrome "Otis Bougie A Boule" in even sizes from 8 to 32 Fr, an eight-instrument 16–30 Fr set, and a thirteen-size set. Sklar's live listing for the thirteen-piece set (SKU 85-1636) instead gives a range of 8–34 Fr; confirm the contents of a local set before relying on either endpoint.[1][3] Catalog naming varies, so the maker's current catalog and reprocessing instructions should be checked for the exact instrument on a local tray.

What the ball tip can and cannot show​

  • Tactile localization: resistance as the bulb crosses a narrowing can help identify its approximate position.
  • Calibration: the largest bulb that passes gives a mechanical estimate of luminal caliber at that examination.
  • Important limitation: spasm, pain, irregular scar, false passage, and examination technique can alter tactile findings. A ball-tip sound should not be forced through resistance.

Modern stricture evaluation generally relies on history, uroflowmetry, retrograde urethrography/voiding cystourethrography, cystoscopy, or ultrasound as appropriate.

Naming and history​

The ball-tip concept predates the commercial Otis bougie-à-boule name. A historical review notes that Sir Charles Bell described a ball probe in 1807 and that the name bougie-à-boule came from Leroy d'Étiolles; Otis is separately associated with urethrometry and the dilating urethrotome.[2]

See also: Van Buren Sound, Otis Urethrotome, Retrograde Urethrogram.

References​

1. Sklar Surgical Instruments. Hospital Catalog: Genito-Urinary Instruments. "Otis Bougie A Boule," catalog numbers 85-1608 through 85-1636. Catalog PDF

2. Mundy AR. "A history of the treatment of urethral stricture disease." De Historia Urologiae Europaeae. 2021;28:35–88. EAU online volume

3. Sklar Surgical Instruments. Sklar Otis Bougie A Boule Set of 13 (SKU 85-1636). Product listing.