title: Laser welding in urethral surgery: improved results with a protein solder.
abstract: Reconstruction of the rat urethra using the CO2 laser and a protein solder has dramatically decreased the postoperative fistula rate and decreased surgical time over conventional microsurgical reconstruction. Using the rat as a model, a partial transection of the ventral urethra was repaired in one of three ways in 39 animals: conventional microsuture repair, laser assisted microsuture repair and laser assisted microsuture repair with a protein solder. The success rate in each group was 50%, 58% and 90% respectively. Therefore, the laser repair is an efficacious as conventional microsuture repair. More importantly, laser with solder is significantly better than either the conventional method or laser alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Poppas
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Schlossberg
authors.forename: I L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Richmond
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Devine
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins; D000818:Animals; D004527:Egg Proteins; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014521:Urethra / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D004527:Egg Proteins