Key Benefits
The new urethrotome allows for easy and safe non-visual internal urethrotomy by passage over a guidewire, no moving parts and cutting of only fibrous scar. The flat blade protects normal urethra, which is pushed gently away during passage.
Method of Use
Click to ExpandInitially, after the instillation of an urethral anesthetic lubricant, a guide wire is passed into the urethra and through the stricture to the bladder. The urethrotome is loaded over the guidewire and slid gently to the stricture, which will be noted by increased resistance to the passage over the guide wire through the tactile feedback characteristic of the stem. Normal tissue is gently pushed out of the way. Markings on the stem will help localize the depth of the stricture from the meatus.
Advancing the urethrotome through the stricture will gently stretch fibrous bands, which will then be exposed to the sharp square edges of the urethrotome and divided as the urethrotome is advanced through the stricture.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2305529
Features
Click to Expand- Surgical steel
- Flexible stem with tactile feedbackcharacteristics
- No sharp edges to come in contact withnormal tissue
- Central hole for passage over a guidewire
- “Cm” markings on the stem of the instrumentto help assess the depth of the stricture. “Double” markings at 5, 10 and 15 cm
Technical Aspects
Click to ExpandThe design of the internal urethrotome has a conical shape in three different sizes: 8 – 14 F and 10 – 20 F (Fig 1). There is a blade arising on one side from a recessed surface within the cone, which does not exceed the circumference of the cone (Fig 2). The blade has a flat surface, which does not cut normal tissue, but sharp square edges, which will cut fibrotic tissue when engaged by a tight stricture. The conical head of the urethrotome has a channel running through its center for passage over a guidewire, which allows blind passage to the stricture and thus minimizing trauma from blind passage (Fig 3).
- Figure 1
- Figure 2
- Figure 3
CPT® code1 | Total Non Facility RVUs2 | Medicare National Allowed Amount2, 3 |
---|---|---|
Physician Coding | ||
52275 – Cystourethroscopy with internal urethrotomy; male | 15 | $543 |
52276 – cystoscopy and treatment – DVIU | 7.6 | $275 |
Uramix does not endorse any particular code for billing purposes. These codes are only provided for information purposes.