Pulsed dye laser treatment of ureteral calculi

During a period of 20 months 36 patients with symptomatic ureteric stones were treated ureteroscopically with laser lithotripsy. A pulsed dye laser was used through a rigid or a semi-rigid ureteroscope. The laser emits impulses at a duration of 2 microseconds and a wavelength of 504 nm. Complete disintegration was obtained in 20 patients (56%), and further 7 patients became stonefree after supplementary basket extraction of residual fragments. In 4 patients additional treatment with ultrasound probe was necessary and further 5 patients were finally treated with ESWL. Five cases of minor perforations of the ureter required no other treatment than stenting with a ureter-catheter or a double J stent. With the new generation of slender semirigid ureteroscopes based on fiberoptics the ureteroscopic procedure is simplified, as no dilatation of preoperative preparation of the ureter is needed.