Pulsed dye laser lithotripsy for treatment of urolithiasis in two geldings.

The research talks about how using the advanced medical technique known as pulsed dye laser lithotripsy was found to be an effective treatment for adult horses suffering from urolithiasis, a condition where urinary stones are formed.

Methodology and Results

• In the study, two adult male horses (geldings) suffering from calcium carbonate urothlithiasis were treated using transendoscopic pulsed dye laser lithotripsy. This is a non-invasive surgical procedure that uses laser technology to break down urinary stones into smaller fragments that can be easily passed out through urine.
• In the first horse, a larger cystic calculus (a type of urinary stone) was treated effectively with the help of perineal urethrotomy, which enabled easy access for the lithotripsy process. The stone was fragmented and subsequently removed.
• For the second horse, an obstructive calculus in the urethral pathway was successfully broken down and removed using a similar transurethroscopic approach. The use of laser lithotripsy enabled the careful fragmentation of the stone, mitigating the risk of injury to the urinary tract.

Efficacy and Benefits

• The study concluded that pulsed dye laser lithotriptor was effective in treating the most common form – calcium carbonate – of uroliths in horses.
• One of the key benefits highlighted is that this procedure can be performed on horses in standing posture, reducing the invasiveness and trauma usually associated with such urinary tract interventions.

Disadvantages

• The primary downsides of using pulsed dye laser lithotripsy are the cost of the treatment, which is comparable to laparocystotomy (a surgery that involves opening the bladder to remove stones), and the time delay involved in arranging for the use of the pulsed dye laser lithotriptor.