To review the impact of negative-pressure suction sheaths on the efficacy and safety of ureteroscopy for managing urinary tract stones, highlighting advancements in patient outcomes.
Key Findings:
Suction-assisted ureteroscopy improves optical clarity and facilitates fragment evacuation, with specific improvements in stone-free rates.
Reduces intrarenal pressure surges during high energy lithotripsy, potentially decreasing complication rates.
Potentially beneficial for high-dusting cases and anatomically challenging situations, supported by preliminary data.
Interpretation:
Suction-assisted ureteroscopy represents a significant advancement in endoscopic lithotripsy, enhancing both safety and efficacy, with important implications for clinical practice.
Limitations:
Need for standardized reporting of intrarenal pressure surrogates, which may affect the reliability of outcomes.
Variability in suction parameters and techniques across studies, complicating comparisons.
Lack of large-scale multicenter clinical trials and cost-effectiveness analyses, limiting generalizability.
Conclusion:
Suction-assisted ureteroscopy offers a systems-based approach to improve endoscopic lithotripsy outcomes, warranting further research and standardization to fully realize its potential.
