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While the role of endoscopy was initially diagnostic, the advent of improved endoscopes and working instruments have increased its therapeutic applications. One of the most recent advances is the holmium laser. It has a broad range of urological applications due to its ability to fragment all urinary calculi and its soft tissue effects. This laser is based on laser energy delivered in a pulsatile fashion at 2100 nm. The purpose of this study is to report our experience with the holmium laser. A retrospective study of patients undergoing endourological procedures with the holmium laser was performed. One hundred and forty patients underwent 157 procedures. The holmium laser was used for the treatment of urinary calculi in 122 patients. Stone location included 61 renal, 64 ureteral, and 17 bladder stones. Renal stone burden was 17 mm (range 3-50), ureteral stone size averaged 10 mm (range 3 - 35), and mean bladder stone size was 31 mm (range 10 - 60). Other uses included treatment of transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis, ureter, and bladder, incision of ureteral strictures, ureterocele, and prostate, and ablation of renal hemangiomas. Intraoperative and post operative complications were noted. Follow-up for calculi consisted of a plain film of the abdomen at one week and an ultrasound or intravenous pyelogram at six to eight weeks post procedure. No ureteral perforations or strictures occurred. The Holmium laser was capable of fragmenting all urinary calculi in this study. No complications were directly attributable to the Holmium laser. In our initial experience, the Holmium laser is safe and effective in the treatment of urinary pathology. It is the most effective lithotrite available and is able to incise and coagulate soft tissue as well. This combination allows the urologist to treat a variety of urinary pathology using a single modality. Its main limitation is the ability to access lower pole lesions in the upper urinary tract due to the fiber's stiffness. Use of laser fibers larger than 200 microns occasionally limit deflection into a lower pole or dependent calyx.
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