Contact laser transurethral external sphincterotomy: a preliminary report

We report here a new technique of external sphincterotomy in 30 spinal cord injury patients. Instead of electrocautery, the contact sapphire chisel probe firing Nd:YAG laser was used to ablate the external urethral sphincter. The major advantages of this procedure over electrocautery are (1) significantly decreased blood loss; (2) shorter, less morbid postoperative course and shorter hospital stay; and (3) durable results. Long-term follow-up of these patients is currently underway.