Functional and histological restitution in the urinary tract after Nd:YAG laser coagulation.

Current development in endourologic equipment has made possible the endoscopic application of the Nd:YAG laser in the treatment of urothelial tumors of the whole urinary tract. The clinical results are rather promising. We controlled with various methods the healing processes of 14 rabbit ureters after Nd:YAG laser treatment as to morphological repair and physiological function. The ureters were irradiated transrenally with an energy of 60 J coagulating all wall layers. Healing of the laser lesions nearly to normal in all animals was observed 4 to 6 weeks after treatment. The prevailing histological and physiological changes in the ureter are extremely slight and do not disturb the normal ureteral function. The results show the complete healing process of the ureter after laser coagulation and make the application of Nd:YAG laser in the upper urinary tract much more predictable.