The following is a summary of “Comparison of Thulium Fiber Laser versus Holmium Laser in ureteroscopic lithotripsy: a Meta-analysis and systematic review,” published in the February 2024 issue of Urology by Tang et al.
This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the comparative efficacy and safety of thulium fiber laser (TFL) versus holmium: YAG (Ho: YAG) laser in ureteroscopic lithotripsy for urolithiasis. A thorough search across multiple databases yielded thirteen relevant studies encompassing 1,394 patients. Pooled analysis revealed that TFL exhibited a significantly higher stone-free rate (SFR) (RR 0.52, 95% CI 0.32-0.85, p = 0.009), shorter operation time (MD -5.47 minutes, 95% CI -8.86 to -2.08, p = 0.002), and reduced incidence of stone migration (RR 0.17, 95% CI 0.06-0.50, p = 0.001) compared to Ho: YAG laser. However, no significant disparities were observed in laser time, hospital stay duration, hemoglobin level drop, total energy used, postoperative ureteral stenting, or intraoperative or postoperative complications between TFL and Ho: YAG laser.
These findings underscore TFL’s favorable attributes, including improved SFR, shorter operative time, and decreased stone migration, thus suggesting its potential as a preferred modality for ureteroscopic lithotripsy in urolithiasis management.
Source: bmcurol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12894-024-01419-6
