Meatome: A Novel Clamp for Single Step Urethral Meatal Stenosis Surgery

Abstract

Meatotomy is a surgical procedure performed primarily on infants and adolescents to widen the urethral opening (meatus). The current standard surgical meatotomy requires several steps and multiple instruments. The procedure is oftentimes performed with local anesthesia in the office setting. We present a novel, all-inclusive device that utilizes a centrally-located blade on the upper jaw flanked on all sides by parallel grooves acting as a crimping platform. The simultaneous action of these two important steps aims to improve patient cooperation by minimizing the tools and steps required for this procedure. Qualitative data is used to compare the novel device to current surgical tools. In addition, modeling material and chicken skin are used to illustrate the workflow of the metal 3D-printed prototype. Ultimately, we plan to fabricate a device with the potential to become the preferred instrument for meatotomy procedures.