Endoscopic transurethral suspension of bladder neck and urethra. Experimental trials of new procedure in dogs.

An endoscopic, transurethral suspension of the female urethra and bladder neck is achieved by placing sutures through the anterior urethral wall up to the anterior abdominal fascia. The sutures are placed under direct endoscopic vision using a specially designed suture passer. In 8 female dogs a mean increase in urethral length of 1.81 cm (SEM 0.21 cm) was obtained immediately postoperatively. Reevaluation three months postoperatively demonstrated the mean increase to be 1.56 cm (SEM 0.11 cm). Cystoscopy and postmortem dissection demonstrated integrity of the repair in all 8 dogs. A clinical trial in stress incontinent women is suggested.