{"id":1248,"date":"2026-09-01T12:25:26","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T09:25:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/economidesuro.com\/ouritiroskopisi\/"},"modified":"2026-09-29T16:34:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T13:34:00","slug":"ureteroscopy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/economidesuro.com\/en\/ureteroscopy\/","title":{"rendered":"Ureteroscopy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Ureteroscopy is an advanced, minimally invasive endoscopic technique. A long, thin instrument, the <strong>ureteroscope<\/strong>, is advanced through the urethra and bladder into the ureter. It requires no external incision, but is performed under general anaesthesia.<\/p>\n<p>It is used for the <strong>diagnosis and treatment of conditions of the upper urinary tract<\/strong> (i.e.\u00a0the ureters and, in particular, the interior of the kidneys). It is also used as an investigation for ureteral strictures or tumours, when previous examinations have shown relevant indications.<\/p>\n<p>Depending on the patient\u2019s needs, the urologist uses a different ureteroscope for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Flexible Ureteroscopy (RIRS)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Semi-rigid Ureteroscopy<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In more detail:<\/p>\n<h2>Flexible Ureteroscopy<\/h2>\n<p>The flexible ureteroscope is an extremely thin, flexible optical fibre instrument of a length that allows access through the urethra, bladder and ureter, into every part of the kidney. Thanks to the instrument\u2019s ability to bend (deflection of up to 270\u2013300 degrees), the urologist can reach even the most difficult-to-access \u201ccorners\u201d (calyces) of the kidney.<\/p>\n<p>It is used mainly in patients with lower-pole kidney stones smaller than 15 mm in diameter, or multiple small stones in the kidney calyces. Using <a href=\"https:\/\/economidesuro.com\/en\/laser-lithotripsy\/\"><strong>laser<\/strong><\/a>, the stone is then fragmented into dust and the fragments are removed with forceps and a tiny basket.<\/p>\n<p>It is used to remove stones:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Inside the kidneys<\/strong> (particularly for small and medium stones, usually under 2 cm, or in cases where extracorporeal lithotripsy has not been successful)<\/li>\n<li>In the <strong>ureter<\/strong> (especially in its upper part, near the kidney, or for stones that have migrated back upward)<\/li>\n<li><strong>To investigate haematuria<\/strong>, allowing the urologist to \u201cnavigate\u201d internally through the entire ureter and the kidney cavities to identify any hidden causes (e.g.\u00a0a small polyp, vascular malformation)<\/li>\n<li><strong>To investigate suspicious lesions and biopsy tumours<\/strong>, determining the type and stage for treatment planning<\/li>\n<li>For the diagnosis and endoscopic treatment of strictures located high in the ureter or at its junction with the kidney (the pelviureteric junction)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The patient usually returns home the same day or the next day and can quickly resume daily activities.<\/p>\n<h2>Semi-rigid Ureteroscopy<\/h2>\n<p>Semi-rigid ureteroscopy is a similar minimally invasive endoscopic technique used mainly for the diagnosis and treatment of <strong>conditions located in the ureter<\/strong> (the tube connecting the kidney to the bladder).<\/p>\n<p>Unlike the flexible ureteroscope, the semi-rigid instrument is rigid but has a thin, straight, high-durability design. It offers high-definition imaging and allows the use of larger instruments compared to flexible scopes, as well as very fast treatment of stones in the lower and middle third of the ureter.<\/p>\n<p>It is used mainly for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Treating stones lodged in the middle or lower part of the ureter<\/strong>, causing severe colic, obstruction or hydronephrosis<\/li>\n<li><strong>When there is a stricture (scarring or narrowing) in the lumen of the ureter<\/strong>, allowing the urologist to perform endoscopic dilation (optical urethrotomy\/laser incision)<\/li>\n<li><strong>For suspicious lesions\/polyps along the ureter<\/strong>, allowing the urologist direct visual contact and the ability to take a biopsy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>After the procedure, a temporary internal ureteral catheter (Stent \/ Pigtail) is often placed for a few days, to ensure unimpeded urinary flow while the area heals.<\/p>\n<p>The patient is usually discharged the same day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ureteroscopy is an advanced, minimally invasive endoscopic technique. A long, thin instrument, the ureteroscope, is advanced through the urethra and bladder into the ureter. It requires no external incision, but is performed under general anaesthesia. It is used for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions of the upper urinary tract (i.e.\u00a0the ureters and, in particular, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":6,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1248","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/economidesuro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/economidesuro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/economidesuro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/economidesuro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/economidesuro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1248"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/economidesuro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1421,"href":"https:\/\/economidesuro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1248\/revisions\/1421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/economidesuro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}