Renal and ureteral temperatures changes during ureteroscopic pulsed thulium: YAG laser lithotripsy: an

Introduction: Promising studies have shown a high stone-free rate achieved with the pulsed solid-state thulium YAG laser. However, studies on its safety concerning temperature effects during activation remain limited. The aim of this study was to characterize temperature variations during laser activation. Material and methods: This Results: In the renal model, temperature increases were correlated with the applied energy. With a 10 ml/min flow rate, no laser configuration exceeded 43°C at 15 seconds; at 20 seconds, only the 30 W (2.5 J/20 Hz) configuration exceeded this temperature. By 30 seconds, all 30 W configurations exceeded 43°C, except for 0.4 J/75 Hz. With a 20 ml/min flow rate, no laser configuration exceeded 43°C. The 20 ml/min flow rate decreased renal temperature by 1.96°C (p = 0.01). In the ureteral model, the temperature increase was not proportional to the applied energy, but in no scenario the temperatures reach the 43°C. Conclusions: The temperature variations observed in this study with the use of the pulsed solid-state thulium YAG laser should be considered to avoid potential renal and ureteral thermal damage.