Giorgio Bozzini1,2, Matteo Maltagliati3,4, Lorenzo Berti1,4, Umberto Besana1, Alberto Calori1, Antonio L Pastore5, Ali Gozen2,6, Alexander Govorov2,7, Evangelos Liatsikos2,8, Salvatore Micali4, Bernardo Rocco2,4, Lütfi Tunc2,9, Carlo Buizza1. 1. Department of Urology, ASST Valle Olona, Busto Arsizio, Varese, Italy. 2. European Section for UroTechnology (ESUT), Arnhem, the Netherlands. 3. Department of Urology, ASST Valle Olona, Busto Arsizio, Varese, Italy - matteo.maltagliati90@gmail.com. 4. Department of Urology, New Civil Hospital - Polyclinic S. Agostino Estense, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy. 5. Department of Urology, ICOT Latina, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy. 6. Department of Urology, SLK Heilbronn Hospital, Heilbronn, Germany. 7. Department of Urology, Moscow University, Moscow, Russia. 8. Department of Urology, University of Patras, Patras, Greece. 9. Department of Urology, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The "VirtualBasket" technology (Cook Medical, Bloomington, IN, USA) is the result of pulse modulation during holmium laser emission: the laser emits part of the energy to create an initial bubble, and a second pulse is emitted when the vapor bubble is at its maximum expansion, so that it can pass through the previously created vapor channel. The aim of this study was to outline the outcomes of the "VirtualBasket" technology in ureteral and renal stones. METHODS: 160 Patients were randomly assigned to holmium laser lithotripsy with or without the "VirtualBasket" technology in ureteric or renal cases (40 per 4 groups). All procedures were performed by four experienced urologists. The Quanta System Cyber Ho 100W laser generator with 365 µm fibers was used for all the ureteral cases, whereas 272 µm fibers were used for all the cases in the renal pelvis. Demographic data, stone parameters, perioperative complications and success rates were compared. A statistical analysis was carried out to assess patients' data and outcomes. All the reported P values were obtained with the two-sided exact method at the conventional 5% significance level. The degree of stone retropulsion was graded on a Likert scale from zero (no retropulsion) to 3 (maximum retropulsion). RESULTS: All groups were comparable in terms of age, and preoperative stone size (ureter stone size: 1.2 vs. 1.1 cm; renal pelvis stone size: 1.55 vs. 1.62 cm). Compared to the regular mode, the "VirtualBasket" technology was associated with significantly lower fragmentation time (mean time for ureteral stones: 20.4 vs. 16.1 minutes, P<0.05; mean time for renal stones: 28.7 vs. 19.8 minutes, P<0.05) and total procedural time (mean time for ureteral stones 49 vs. 35.7 minutes; mean time for renal stones 67.1 vs. 52.4 minutes). There were no significant differences in terms of energy delivered to the stones, intraoperative complications and success rate at 1 month. The "VirtualBasket" technology was associated with significantly lower retropulsion. CONCLUSIONS: The "VirtualBasket" technology is associated with significantly lower fragmentation and procedural times. The reduced fragmentation time is a result of the significantly lower retropulsion of the stones during laser lithotripsy, which improves stone fragmentation efficiency.
BACKGROUND: The "VirtualBasket" technology (Cook Medical, Bloomington, IN, USA) is the result of pulse modulation during holmium laser emission: the laser emits part of the energy to create an initial bubble, and a second pulse is emitted when the vapor bubble is at its maximum expansion, so that it can pass through the previously created vapor channel. The aim of this study was to outline the outcomes of the "VirtualBasket" technology in ureteral and renal stones. METHODS: 160 Patients were randomly assigned to holmium laser lithotripsy with or without the "VirtualBasket" technology in ureteric or renal cases (40 per 4 groups). All procedures were performed by four experienced urologists. The Quanta System Cyber Ho 100W laser generator with 365 µm fibers was used for all the ureteral cases, whereas 272 µm fibers were used for all the cases in the renal pelvis. Demographic data, stone parameters, perioperative complications and success rates were compared. A statistical analysis was carried out to assess patients' data and outcomes. All the reported P values were obtained with the two-sided exact method at the conventional 5% significance level. The degree of stone retropulsion was graded on a Likert scale from zero (no retropulsion) to 3 (maximum retropulsion). RESULTS: All groups were comparable in terms of age, and preoperative stone size (ureter stone size: 1.2 vs. 1.1 cm; renal pelvis stone size: 1.55 vs. 1.62 cm). Compared to the regular mode, the "VirtualBasket" technology was associated with significantly lower fragmentation time (mean time for ureteral stones: 20.4 vs. 16.1 minutes, P<0.05; mean time for renal stones: 28.7 vs. 19.8 minutes, P<0.05) and total procedural time (mean time for ureteral stones 49 vs. 35.7 minutes; mean time for renal stones 67.1 vs. 52.4 minutes). There were no significant differences in terms of energy delivered to the stones, intraoperative complications and success rate at 1 month. The "VirtualBasket" technology was associated with significantly lower retropulsion. CONCLUSIONS: The "VirtualBasket" technology is associated with significantly lower fragmentation and procedural times. The reduced fragmentation time is a result of the significantly lower retropulsion of the stones during laser lithotripsy, which improves stone fragmentation efficiency.
Authors: Antoni Sánchez-Puy; Alejandra Bravo-Balado; Pietro Diana; Michael Baboudjian; Alberto Piana; Irene Girón; Andrés K Kanashiro; Oriol Angerri; Pablo Contreras; Brian H Eisner; Josep Balañà; Francisco M Sánchez-Martín; Félix Millán; Joan Palou; Esteban Emiliani Journal: J Clin Med Date: 2022-06-04 Impact factor: 4.964