[Endoscopic lithotripsy of a urinary bladder calculus with the aid of a holmium-YAG-laser in a gelding].

A horse suffering from long-term painful urination due to a large bladder stone was successfully treated using a specific type of laser-assisted surgery.

Background

• The study revolves around a 6-year-old Haflinger gelding – a breed of horse, who was suffering from chronic dysuria, a condition characterized by pain or discomfort during urination. This issue was traced back to a large cystic calculus, or urinary bladder stone, which was of considerable size (12 x 9 x 9 cm).
• The treatment involved endoscopic lithotripsy, a medical procedure to break down the bladder stone into smaller fragments to pass out with urine. The procedure was facilitated by a Holmium:YAG surgical laser, a special type of laser used for such medical treatments.

Procedure

• The patient was kept standing and was sedated before the procedure. The endoscope, a long flexible tube with a camera at the end, was inserted into the bladder through the urethra from the perineum area (the area around the genitals and rectum).
• For the lithotripsy, a laser fiber with a core diameter of 600 microns was used in contact mode to fragment the large bladder stone.

Results and Follow-up

• Post-surgery, the healing process was smooth and without complications. The patient didn’t show any signs of discomfort or health issues.
• Upon re-evaluation after 8 weeks of the surgery, the patient showed no signs of recurring stones, bladder inflammation (cystitis), or any narrowing (strictures) of the urethra, indicating a successful application of the procedure.