Holmium: YAG laser damage to ureteral guidewire.

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