Services on Demand
Journal
Article
Indicators
- Cited by SciELO
- Access statistics
Related links
- Similars in SciELO
Share
Revista mexicana de urología
On-line version ISSN 2007-4085Print version ISSN 0185-4542
Abstract
GONZALEZ-CUENCA, Eduardo and RAZVI, Hassan. Thulium Fiber Laser: game changer or marketing hype?. Rev. mex. urol. [online]. 2023, vol.83, n.1, e04. Epub Sep 29, 2023. ISSN 2007-4085. https://doi.org/10.48193/revistamexicanadeurologa.v83i1.1013.
Description:
The Holmium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Ho:YAG) laser has become the gold-standard intracorporeal lithotripsy device since it was first introduced in the 1980’s. More recently, the Thulium Fiber Laser (TFL) was introduced into the clinical setting, with the potential to address some of the inherent limitations with Ho:YAG devices. In particular, early experience suggested the TFL provided enhanced dusting and fragmenting capabilities, less retropulsion and better stone free rates compared to the Ho:YAG laser.
Relevance:
Should the initial claims of the TFL’s better dusting properties be confirmed, this would be a significant advancement in the field. The ability to dust larger stones more rapidly could enhance the role of ureteroscopy and reduce the need for more invasive procedures.
Conclusion:
The initial experience with the TFL is promising and suggests an advantage over Ho:YAG laser lithotripsy. Properly conducted prospective randomized trials are required to further delineate the advantages, disadvantages and to optimize patient outcomes.
Keywords : Thulium; solid-state lasers; laser lithotripsy; urolithiasis; Holmiun-YAG laser.