Conclusion
Significant advances have been made within the past few years to the tools available for the surgical management of kidney stones. From new modifications of the gold standard Ho:YAG laser to the introduction of the entirely novel thulium fiber laser system, the modern endourologist is incredibly fortunate to have such sophisticated tools at hand. The introduction of a new mechanical lithotrite in 2018 which can simultaneously harness two highly effective energy modalities while providing rapid suction evacuation holds great promise for the future of PCNL. Moreover, all of the aforementioned technologies possess the capability to be miniaturized in the future as mini-PCNL becomes increasingly popular among practicing urologists.
Acknowledgements
None.
Financial support and sponsorship
The work was supported in part by the Urology Care Foundation Research Scholar Award Program and AUA Southeastern Section (RST). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the American Urological Association (AUA) or the Urology Care Foundation.
Curr Opin Urol. 2020;30(2):144-148. © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
