Flexible ureteroscopy is considered the first-line therapy for renal stones < 2 cm. The Holmium: YAG laser (Ho:YAG) is established as gold standard in urology practice. Despite its limitations, it is widely used to break stones into fragments small enough to remove or pass spontaneously through the ureter. Advances in the understanding of laser energy delivery have led to the recent commercialization of the 'Thulium Fiber Laser' (TFL) with unique characteristics and promising improvements of ablation efficiency, dusting capacity, operating time and deflection. A a multi-center, prospective clinical trial to further assess those advantages for the lithotripsy of kidney stones will be conducted.
This is a multi-center, prospective clinical trial to assess the effect of TFL for the lithotripsy of kidney stones.