Ureteroscopy and Laser Lithotripsy for Ureteral and Renal Stones in a Patient with a Nephrostomy Tube
Zachary Tully, MD; Joseph Y. Clark, MD
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Ureteroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used for the diagnosis and treatment of ureteral and renal pathology, most often urolithiasis. The presence of a percutaneous nephrostomy tube, commonly placed for urgent decompression of an obstructed kidney, often in obstructing stone disease, introduces unique perioperative considerations. Indications for ureteroscopy in this setting involve persistent obstruction with failure of spontaneous stone passage when percutaneous nephrolithotomy is not indicated. Surgical treatment aims to remove obstructing calculi, restore antegrade urinary drainage, and prevent long-term complications such as decline of renal function. Ureteroscopy involves cystoscopic access, ureteroscopic stone fragmentation, and extraction. When coupled with antegrade access as provided by a nephrostomy tract, it enables combined antegrade and retrograde (“rendezvous”) approaches. This video presents a case of a patient with a left-sided distal ureteral stone, nonobstructing renal stones, and an indwelling nephrostomy tube who underwent definitive management with ureteroscopy and laser lithotripsy.