However, the aggressive stone expulsion by traditional Western medicine is only effective for stones with a diameter of over 0.5 cm. The effect beyond this limit is not very good; extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for treating urinary calculi has certain limitations and side effects, and its efficacy is far inferior to that of holmium laser lithotripsy. Moreover, surgery can cause minor trauma, especially for patients with relatively good kidney function. Scars at the incision site can become a favorable environment for stone recurrence. Some suture ends left after surgery also become a good foundation for stone formation. Furthermore, surgical scars will remain in the body for life.
The treatment scope of holmium laser lithotripsy is very extensive. Holmium laser lithotripsy does not destroy stones under direct vision or remove them from the body. Especially for cases where both ureters are simultaneously affected by urinary stones or multiple stones in both ureters, as well as stones accompanied by ureteral polyps, the superiority of holmium lasers becomes more evident. Because these complex branch lesions can be completely resolved through a single endoscopic surgery, avoiding the pain and cost of multiple surgeries. Its efficacy is definite, with minimal pain and rapid recovery (6-12 hours), which other treatment methods cannot compare with.
Various types of stone diseases bring endless pain to people. Experts from the Urology Department of Nanjing Military Region General Hospital indicate that the treatment of stones has entered a new era — the laser era. Are you still undergoing surgery to remove stones? Or receiving extracorporeal shock wave "beating"? These have all become history. High-precision holmium laser has brought stone treatment into the minimally invasive era.
The Urology Center of Nanjing Military Region General Hospital is a national tertiary Class A hospital. The center has a large number of excellent military and civilian experts, led by Academician Guo Danglu of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, who serves as the head of the expert group. It is equipped with a German Wavelight AURIGA30W holmium laser machine. In the field of urolithiasis and tumor treatment, it continuously pursues leading technology, striving to provide high-quality services for patients.
Laser technology has been used for a long time, but previous technologies had many defects. Pulsed carbon dioxide lasers vaporize stones due to high temperatures (2000～3000℃), causing significant thermal damage; pulsed lasers, such as dye lasers, are effective for cystine stones containing pigments; neodymium lasers, due to poor accuracy, cannot be used for lithotripsy.
Experts say that from surgical stone removal to extracorporeal shock waves, stone treatment has gradually moved towards minimally invasive procedures. The application of holmium lasers has opened up a new era for the treatment of urinary stones. Holmium lasers are one of the latest types of lasers used in current surgical operations, with a wavelength of only 2.1 microns and are pulsed lasers. The energy emitted by holmium lasers can vaporize water between the fiber tip and the stone, forming a small bubble and transmitting energy to the stone, breaking it down into fine powder. The vaporized water absorbs a large amount of released energy, reducing damage to surrounding tissues. Holmium lasers have a deep penetration depth into human tissue, only reaching 0.4 mm. Therefore, holmium lasers cause minimal injury during lithotripsy, effectively reducing the trauma caused by lithotripsy surgery to the human body.
Experts express that the clinical application of holmium lasers has received recognition and promotion from numerous domestic and international experts. Currently, patients prefer this method, which breaks stones without placing too much burden on the body and allows for quick recovery, aligning with modern people's fast-paced lifestyle habits.
Drug-induced stone expulsion, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, and open surgery were commonly used methods for treating urinary stones before the application of holmium laser lithotripsy. Related thematic articles: Beijing Military Region General Hospital - Entering a New Era of Urinary Stone Treatment.