Holmium laser lithothripsy of ureteral calculi: our initial experience.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate effectiveness and safety of intracorporeal holmium:YAG (Ho:YAG) laser lithotripsy of ureteral calculi.


METHODS
Between October 2003 and September 2005, 45 patients (age range 27-74, mean age 51.5 years) with 49 ureteral stones (measuring 4-28 mm in size) were treated with Ho:YAG laser lithotripsy. The locations of the stones in the ureter were: 6 in the upper third, 7 in the middle third, and 36 in the lower third. Under general anaesthesia, we used semirigid 9- to 11-Fr ureteroscopes and a flexible 7.5-Fr ureteroscope. The Ho:YAG laser had a maximum power of 1.8 J at 8 Hz, and a 365-mum flexible quartz fibre was used. One month postoperatively the patients were followed up with imaging tests.


RESULTS
Stone disintegration was feasible in all cases. The mean hospital stay was 2.8 days. One month postoperatively, stone-free status was revealed in 93.3% of the cases. Only minor complications were noted in 4 patients (8.8%). No long-term complications were recorded.


CONCLUSIONS
Ho:YAG laser lithotripsy of ureteral calculi is a feasible, safe, and effective procedure.
Triantafyllidis
A
A
Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece. agpapatsoris@yahoo.gr
Kalaitzis
C
C
Giannakopoulos
S
S
Papatsoris
A G
AG
Pantazis
T
T
Papathanasiou
A
A
Touloupidis
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017602:Lithotripsy, Laser; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014514:Ureteral Calculi / Q000628:therapy*