HOLMIUM LASER FOR LITHOTRIPSY

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        Holmium Laser Applications:  

Nowadays, from the scope of worldwide, Holmium Laser mainly used in treatment of Urology system. It can be widely used in kidney stones, ureter stones, bladder stones, tumor encapsulated stones, BPH, tumor, urethral stricture etc. and holmium laser treatment is widely welcomed cause minimal complications and little sequela. 

        The doctor uses an endoscope (a tube introduced into the body, via the urinary tract) in order to get close to the stone. A small fiber is snaked up the endoscope so that the tip (that emits the laser energy) can come in contact    with  the stone, the intense light energy breaks the stone into increasingly smaller pieces, which can be extracted or flushed out. Because of type of laser energy no other tissue is affected.

Laser lithotripsy carries a slightly greater risk of complications than extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. However, lithotripsy using the holmium laser is characterized by a high success rate and low complication rate for all types of stones.

The holmium laser advantages over other endoscopic techniques:

  • Greater reach due to fiber flexibility and small diameters
  • Less stone movement during treatment
  • More effective on all stone compositions
  • More efficient in removing embedded stones
  • Less bleeding during treatment

      

The Holmium:YAG (Ho:YAG) and pulse-dye laser are used for fragmentation of urinary calculi through miniaturized rigid and flexible endoscopes. The Ho:YAG laser is effective at fragmenting all stones types. However, it can also cut a stone basket or the wall of a ureter if contact occurs. In contrast, the pulse-dye laser is essentially free of thermal risk.

Holmium:YAG laser utilizes a wavelength in the infrared zone (2100 microns). This laser creates a vapor "tunnel" in the irrigating fluid. The laser works on the surface of the stone by vaporizing water and organic matter in the stone resulting in destruction in the urinary calculus.

Superiorities of Holmium YAG Laser:

  • This laser will small stone fragments from large stones either by fragmentation or by vaporization
  • This laser devise is easy to use
  • It is ready to use within one minute after it is turned on
  • No special non-conduction solution is required
  • The fiber can be placed with great precision and controlled action
  • Protective eye ware does not compromise the ureteroscopic view of the stone or fiber
  • The machine is readily moved from one operating room to another
  • The laser fibers are versatile and can be used in rigid or flexible ureteroscopes
  • This laser can be used with high efficacy regardless of stone composition
  • This laser reduces the need for stone manipulation or basketing