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Kidney stone surgery (ureteroscopy and laser)
Category: Kidney & Dialysis Procedures · All kidney & dialysis procedures
What it is
Ureteroscopy passes a thin telescope through the bladder into the ureter and kidney to see a stone directly. A laser fibre breaks the stone into dust or fragments, which are washed out or removed with a tiny basket. A soft stent (JJ stent) is often left temporarily to keep the ureter draining.
Why it is done
It treats stones in the ureter and kidney that are too large to pass, causing obstruction or infection, or unsuitable for shockwave treatment, as well as for inspecting the urinary tract.
How to prepare
You will have a CT scan mapping the stone, urine tests and blood tests. Any urine infection must be treated first — an infected, obstructed kidney is an emergency usually drained first with a stent or nephrostomy. You fast before the general anaesthetic.
What happens during the procedure
Under general anaesthetic, the telescope is passed without any cuts. The stone is lasered and fragments cleared. A stent on a string or internal stent may be placed. The procedure takes about 30 to 90 minutes, usually as a day case or one night.
Afterwards — recovery & results
Stent symptoms are common while it is in: urinary frequency and urgency, discomfort in the loin when passing urine, and blood-stained urine — usually manageable with simple painkillers and fluids. The stent is removed after days to a few weeks, sometimes by pulling an attached string at home as instructed, sometimes with a brief clinic telescope procedure.
Risks & considerations
Risks include infection, bleeding, ureter injury or later narrowing (stricture), stone fragments remaining (sometimes needing a second procedure) and stent discomfort. Stone analysis and metabolic tests may follow to reduce recurrence.
Watch: Kidney stone surgery (ureteroscopy and laser) videos
Real procedure videos from the MedicalVideos.com library. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.
Related guides on MedicalVideos.com
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need a stent and why does it bother me?
The ureter swells after instrumentation; the stent keeps urine flowing while it settles. Its bladder end irritates the bladder, causing urgency and frequency — annoying but expected, and temporary.
Will the stone come back?
Stones can recur. Drinking enough to keep urine pale, and any diet or medicine advice based on your stone type and blood/urine tests, reduces the risk.
Related procedures — Kidney & Dialysis Procedures
Browse the K section of the A–Z list or return to the Procedures & Tests hub.