Since 2021, Joseph Bisignano, DVM, has served as department head of internal medicine with the Metropolitan Animal Specialty Hospital in Los Angeles. Dr. Joseph Bisignano earned a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) from the Western University of Health Sciences and has received advanced training in using a scope and laser to correct ectopic ureters.
Typically, a ureter attaches to the bladder and drains urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Some dogs are born with ectopic ureters, which means the ureter does not connect to the usual location in the bladder. As a result, urine drains into the urethra or vagina, interfering with the bladder’s ability to retain urine and causing incontinence.
The condition can be corrected with cystoscopic laser ablation, which has a higher success rate and faster recovery time than traditional surgery. In this procedure, the veterinarian uses a cystoscope (a rigid camera) and a laser fiber to open the membrane separating the ectopic ureter from the urethra, allowing both ureters to extend into the bladder. Dogs can usually return home the day after the procedure.
