@graf The only simple surgery I have ever witnessed has been feline neuters. Like I said, we've only more recently become well versed in this type of surgery. Post op complications were common, among it being hemorrhage and chronic UTI. Not to mention intraoperative complications. And also, if your cat got stones that were very large, a slightly larger urethra wouldn't necessarily help, it might still be getting blocked.
There is actually a step - by - step on how to do the procedure at dvm360 if you're interested. It does not go over the neuter which would need to be done if the animal wasn't neutered. It is very graphic as it shows pictures of the entire process.
I just dislike the notion that we do sex changes in vet med. I'm not saying your decision was incorrect - even today, this procedure isn't a fix all for stones and still holds potential complications.