[Patient radiation exposure during ureteroscopic stone extraction]

We determined the intraoperative patient radiation exposure during ureteroscopic extraction of ureteral or renal stones.

The investigation was carried out in 215 patients who underwent ureteroscopy for ureteral or renal stone extraction. Radiation exposure was measured as dose-area product (DAP) within the X-ray beam. The effective abdominal dose was calculated using the specific conversion factor of 0.00323 mSv/µGy×m².

Depending on the stone location (i.e. ureter or kidney), the type of ureteroscopy (i.e. semirigid or flexible) and type of stone removal (i.e. simple stone extraction or intracorporeal laser lithotripsy), the intraoperative patient radiation exposure (effective dose ED) ranged from 0.67 mSv (DAP 221.9 µGy×m²) to 2.23 mSv (DAP 744.2 µGy×m²).

Patient radiation exposure during ureteroscopic stone extraction is comparable to patient radiation exposure using plain film urography or low-dose non-contrast-enhanced computed tomography for diagnosis of urolithiasis.