Controllable stone baskets can capture the elusive ureteral stone

Poor expansion of a spiral stone basket within the ureter often results in failure to engage a ureteral calculus. A special pull-wire incorporated into the design of such a basket facilitates predictable expansion of the basket even when the ureteral lumen seems narrow. Excellent results in capturing and removing ureteral calculi have been achieved with this controllable basket, including stones in several patients in whom standard spiral baskets failed to engage the calculus.