Comparison of a Single Use Digital Ureteroscope to a Fiberoptic Ureteroscope During Retrograde Renolithotripsy

Introduction: Ureterorenoscopy is a common procedure for treatment of stone disease. LithoVue is a relatively new entry in urologist armamentarium and offers digital image as well as single use nature when compared with traditional fiber-optic, reusable ureteroscopes. We aim to compare periprocedural outcomes for stone disease when using these two types of ureteroscopes. Patients and Methods: Baseline demographic data, perioperative( procedural time, surgical equipment, complication and stone-free rates) and postoperative(complication rate, length of stay) variables were recorded for two groups of patients: one managed with LithoVue and another with fiber-optic flexible ureteroscope. Chi-square and Fisher's exact test was used to compare qualitative data and unpaired t-test for continuous data, with a statistical significance set at a=0.05. Results: LithoVue was utilized in 40 and fiber-optic ureteroscope in 37 patients. The two groups were balanced regarding their baseline characteristics. Mean operative time for LithoVue cases was 49.36 ± 14.48 minutes and 62.46 ± 16.60 minutes for fiber-optic ureteroscope (p<0.001), while intraoperative stone-free rate for LithoVue was 70% and 43% for fiber-optic ureteroscope(p<0.005). This difference was also detected 24 hours postoperatively. Conclusions: Our study indicates that LithoVue can be used safely as an alternative for flexible fiber-optic ureteroscopes when managing patients with stone disease. These results should be confirmed with randomized trials.