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Use of the holmium:YAG laser for the impacted stone basket
1Division of Urology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Purpose:
During ureteroscopic basketing of ureteral calculi a stone may become engaged in the basket and the basket impacted in the ureter. We describe an endoscopic technique of managing the impacted basket and stone.
Materials And Methods:
The ureteroscope is back loaded off of the basket, and passed into the ureter beside the basket and stone. The holmium:YAG laser is used to irradiate a basket wire, fracturing the wire and releasing the stone. The basket is removed and the stone managed by holmium:YAG lithotripsy.
Results:
We successfully treated 3 consecutive patients with this technique. No injuries were observed.
Conclusions:
The holmium:YAG laser may be used to free an impacted stone basket containing a ureteral calculus.