HOLMIUM-YAG LASER DAMAGE TO URETERAL GUIDEWIRE

The holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (holmium:YAG) laser effectively fr agments urinary calculi of all compositions. Complications have been m inimal and mostly attributable to the ureteroscopy as opposed to the l aser. We report a case in which the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coa ting of a ureteral guidewire was broken with the holmium:YAG laser and remained in the collecting system after the guidewire was removed pos toperatively. The patient required cystoscopy to remove the guidewire coating.