Experimental Study of Laser Welding in Urological Tubular Anastomosis

Cho, Weon Yeol; Park, Nam Cheol

Abstract

Tissue welding is a potentially expectable surgical application in the field of medical laser technology. We investigated to establish the technology of laser welding and its efficacy with auxiliary stent and solder in the anastomosis of urological tubular organs including ureter and urethra of rabbits and vas of human using CO2, laser(Shaplan 1100 System). The objects consist of four groups including control group of the conventional microsuture anastomosis and three experimental groups that included group I of laser welding only, group II of laser welding with stent and group III of laser welding with solder. The overall success rate in control group was 90.7 % and in experimental groups were lower with 58.3% and 73.3% in group I and II , respectively, but higher with 95.5% group III. According to each tubular organ in experimental groups, the overall success rates in ureter, urethra and vas were 83.3%, 75.0% and 76.9% respectively, so that the thinner in the wall thickness of tubular organ revealed the higher success rate. Also, time of procedures was significantly shorter in laser groups than control group. Histological findings of laser welding showed the only localized adventitial reactions with intact subserosal layer. In conclusion, laser welding in the urological tubular organ anastomosis with auxiliary solder is not only a more simple and fast technique but also has higher success rate than conventional microsuture anastomosis.