Surgical Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Ureteroscopic Holmium Laser Lithotripsy and Patient Satisfaction after Implementation of an Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Protocol

The study evaluated the treatment outcomes of patients undergoing ureteroscopic holmium:YAG (Ho:YAG) laser lithotripsy after implementation of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols. The retrospective study included 200 patients undergoing ureteroscopic Ho:YAG laser lithotripsy and they were assigned into the conventional care cohort and the ERAS cohort. The ERAS cohort showed shorter time for first food intake, for duration of the urinary catheter, for out-of-bed activity, and for duration of the double J tube than the conventional care cohort after ureteroscopic Ho:YAG laser lithotripsy (p < 0.05). A reduced length of hospital stay (LOS) was noted in the ERAS cohort compared to the conventional care cohort (p < 0.05). The numerical rating scale (NRS) scores at 12 h postoperatively were reduced but the scores of daily living ability (ADL) at 24 h postoperatively were increased in the ERAS cohort compared to the conventional care cohort (p < 0.05). The ERAS cohort had a higher score of patient satisfaction towards the responsible nurses in term of health care than the conventional care cohort (p < 0.05). The study demonstrates that the ERAS protocols could be touted during ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy due to its improvement on surgical recovery.