Five urinary bladder incisions were performed in 16 rabbits and the defects closed by plain catgut 4-0, chromic catgut 4-0, polypropylene 4-0, polyglactin 910 4-0 and polyglactin 910 8-0 in the form of an all-layer suture, thereby obtaining a total of 80 suture sites. The running sutures in 8 animals were reviewed by light microscopy after 1, 2, 7 and 15 weeks, and in 8 additional animals after 3 days, 1,2,7 and 15 weeks by scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, we analyzed and compared the autopsy findings on gross inspection, the urinary sediments and urinary cultures of the individual animals. Scanning electron-microscopic evaluations showed that epithelization of the intraluminal suture portions can be accomplished after 3 days already. Reduced suture strength and rapid absorption of the suture material prevent later postoperative incrustations. Light-microscopic inspection of the segments of the bladder wall bearing this suture material suggests that a minor inflammatory tissue response around the suture material – with polyglactin 910 8-0 in particular – is more likely to enhance regeneration of the tunica muscularis and to prevent formation of cysts than seen with a long-standing highly inflammatory tissue response around the suture site of catgut threads. In the animal experiment, the polyglactin 910 suture has shown sufficient firmness and proved to be superior to any other suture material as regards the reaction to foreign bodies and inclination to incrustation. A thinner thread used for sutures in the efferent urinary tract would thus have to be given preference over others. Plain catgut, chromic catgut and polyglactin 910 sutures, 4-0 in strength, were found to be disadvantageous in the animal model. The nonabsorbable propylene thread turned out to be inadequate in urinary bladder surgery.

Introduction: Visual laser ablation of the prostate (VLAP) has a clinical failure rate of up to 18% which is 3 times higher than transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) alone. Prolonged spontaneous passage of necrotic debris is the major shortcoming of this method. Therefore combined visual laser-assisted and transurethral prostatectomy was compared to TURP alone. Materials and Methods: 105 patients were evaluated in a prospective randomized study comparing TURP alone and VLAP combined with TURP. The patients were evaluated 1, 3 and 12 months after surgery. First VLAP was performed using a neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser with the prolase fiber followed by standard resection of the necrotic and remaining prostatic tissue. Treatment efficacy was assessed by the American Urological Association (AUA) symptom score, measurements of peak urinary flow, residual urine volume, intraoperative bleeding, and by the occurrence of intra- and postoperative complications. Results: The use of VLAP and consecutive TURP improved the AUA symptom score, urinary flow and residual volume and was comparable in all patients treated. Intraoperative bleeding was significantly reduced from 522 ± 45 ml by TURP to 214 ± 33 ml by VLAP+TURP (p < 0.05). There was a significant improvement in the postoperative values of the parameters observed in both groups. Conclusions: It appears that the combined method for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia reduced the specific intraoperative morbidity of TURP while achieving the same clinical effect as TURP alone.

The disadvantages of high flexible endoureteral stents (DJ) in case of tumorinduced extrinsic ureteral compression are due to an insufficient vertical stability of the used stents leading to stent-compression and consecutive hydro- or pyonephrosis. The new developed tumor-stent used in case of tumor-induced ureteral compression is available from 6 to 8 French in diameter and 24 to 32 cm in length. The corpus consists of a combination of high-stability plastics but is of sufficient elasticity in length. Both ends consist of extremely elastic J-parts guaranteeing an exact fixation. As against common DJ's with the same outside-diameter the new stent has a comparable interior diameter and compared to used "old" tumor stents promises a higher interior flow in case of extrinsic diseases. The application can be undertaken in well-known technique, needs no special instrumentation and no learning-curve. To date 52 stents at our urologic departments were placed without any problems, the latest remaining for 15 months. Tumor-induced compression or a higher rate of encrustation could not be seen. All patients tolerated these stents well. In our opinion the new stabilized endoureteral stent can be seen as a better solution instead of percutaneous nephrostomy or frequent stent changing in patients with tumor induced extrinsic ureteral compression.

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