Treatment of ureteral calculi with an 8.3F disposable shaft rigid ureteroscope

Seventy-one adult patients underwent ureteroscopy for treatment of ureteral calculi using the disposable shaft semirigid mini-ureteroscope. The ureteroscope has an 8.3F outer diameter with a fiber optic core that allows some flexibility of the shaft. It has a 4.0F working channel that allows simultaneous use of 3F instruments and irrigation. Twenty-three patients had upper ureteral calculi and 48 patients had lower ureteral calculi. Thirty-six patients did not require ureteral dilation and the remainder had minimal dilation to 10-12F. Fifty-one patients underwent laser lithotripsy, 14 patients underwent basket extraction, and six patients had both. Five patients required use of a second flexible ureteroscope. Seventy-seven percent of the patients went home the day of the procedure, 16% stayed one night in the hospital, and the remaining 7% had longer hospital stays. No major complications or infections were noted. Only 11% of the patients required IV or IM narcotics for pain management post-operatively. The stone-free results at 1 month were 96% for lower ureteral calculi and 91% for upper ureteral calculi. We have found this ureteroscope to be similar to other rigid mini-ureteroscopes with some additional advantages. A larger working channel, increased flexibility/steerability, and improved optics make it useful for treating ureteral calculi in the lower ureter in men and the entire ureter in women.