Laser lithotripsy of the difficult ureteral calculus: results in 122 patients

We studied 122 patients with ureteral calculi who could not be treated by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) because the stones could not be localized or focused for treatment, the patient had failed prior ESWL, the stones were impacted and in situ ESWL was likely to fail or the stones were proximal to a ureteral stricture. These patients underwent laser lithotripsy using the Candela pulsed dye laser. In 107 patients (88%) the calculi were completely fragmented with the laser alone, while 10 (8%) needed another procedure (ESWL in 8 and stone fragment extraction by basket in 2), and 5 (4%) had failed laser therapy and needed some other form of treatment (ESWL in 4 and percutaneous antegrade extraction in 1). At 3 months 116 of 122 patients (95%) were stone-free. There were 2 immediate complications (ureteral perforations) and 1 late complication (ureteral stricture). Laser lithotripsy is a safe and effective method of intracorporeal fragmentation, even of the difficult ureteral calculus, and it is a useful adjunct to ESWL.