Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Laser treatment for bladder stones in geldings
By Howard, R D et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1998·Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pulsed dye laser lithotripsy for treatment of urolithiasis in two geldings.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In this study, two adult male horses (geldings) with urinary stones made of calcium carbonate were treated using a special laser technique called pulsed dye laser lithotripsy. One horse had a large stone removed through a small incision near the urethra, while the other had a smaller stone broken up and taken out through the urethra itself. This laser method is less invasive than traditional surgery, which means it causes less trauma to the urinary tract and can be done while the horse is standing. However, the procedure can be expensive and requires some time to set up the necessary equipment. Overall, the treatment was effective in breaking up and removing the urinary stones in both horses.
Abstract
Transendoscopic pulsed dye laser lithotripsy was effective in the treatment of calcium carbonate urothlithiasis in 2 adult geldings. Perineal urethrotomy provided convenient access for standing transendoscopic lithotripsy and evacuation of a large cystic calculus in one gelding. In the second horse, an obstructive urethral calculus was fragmented and removed by a transurethroscopic approach. Pulsed dye laser lithotriptor is effective in fragmentation of the most common form (calcium carbonate) of uroliths in horses and may be performed in standing horses with reduced surgical invasiveness and trauma to the urinary tract, compared with conventional approaches. The principle disadvantages include cost of the procedure, which is comparable to laparocystotomy, and the time delay required to make arrangements for use of the pulsed dye laser lithotriptor.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9604033/