Use of the Deniz™ rigid stone basket for treating ureteral calculi.

OBJECTIVE

Advancements in ureteroscope and stone basket design have introduced ureteroscopy to the forefront of surgical stone management. However, different issues, such as stone migration and ureteral injury, remain a challenge among urologists. The Deniz™ rigid stone basket is a patented product (patent number: TR 2016 00421 Y) manufactured in Turkey. Herein, we report our initial experience with the Deniz™ rigid stone basket for managing urinary calculi and compare the use of this device with other methods to optimize ureteroscopic stone management.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Fifty patients undergoing ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy for urinary calculi were retrospectively evaluated by two surgeons. The Deniz™ rigid stone basket was utilized to prevent retrograde ureteral stone migration or to facilitate fragmentation and extraction of ureteral calculi.

RESULTS

In total, 29 men and 21 women, with a mean age of 46.5 (range: 21-69) years, were treated for upper (n = 30), medium (n = 7), and lower (n = 13) ureter calculi. The mean stone diameter was 13.08 (range: 7-22) mm; the mean operative time, 46 (range: 20-80) min; the mean energy utilization, 2.98 (range: 1.5-3.5) kJ; and the mean laser frequency, 6.96 (range: 6-12) hz. None of the patients developed complications, and 46 (92%) patients who underwent ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy using the Deniz™ rigid stone basket were declared stone-free. Four patients had residual stones measuring < 3 mm on post-operative imaging.

CONCLUSIONS

The Deniz™ rigid stone basket is safe and effective for preventing stone migration and facilitating ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy procedure and stone extraction.