title: Laser-welded ureteral anastomoses: experimental studies with three techniques.
abstract: Tissue welding with laser energy is a new technique for reconstructive surgery. The potential advantages of laser welding are (a) lack of foreign body reaction, (b) decreased operative time, (c) less tissue manipulation, and (d) effective union of tissues equivalent to sutured anastomoses. We have performed ureteral anastomoses in adult mongrel dogs using a KTP 532 nm laser at an intensity of 1.4 W. Multiple "spot welds" of 1-s duration were utilized in a single layer anastomosis. Laser-welded anastomoses were performed with and without protein solder (33% and 50% human albumin) and were compared to sutured anastomoses. The laser-welded anastomoses required less operative time and provided bursting pressure levels similar to those of traditional sutured anastomoses. There was no advantage or disadvantage to the addition of human albumin as a solder in these experimental studies.
authors.affiliation: Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gürpinar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gürer
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Kattan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Griffith
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000295:instrumentation; D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D014513:Ureter / Q000601:surgery*; D018666:Ureteroscopy