What conditions is the ureteroscopy technique indicated for?

  Ureteroscopy is the fastest growing field of urology, it is the application of high technology in the field of urology, and is a minimally invasive means of diagnosis and treatment, which is welcomed by the majority of patients, it is less invasive and safe, so that many patients who used to have open surgery are exempted from the trauma and pain of surgery.  Ureteroscopy technology is an extension of cystoscopy technology in the upper urinary tract, and it comes from the rapid development of medical engineering. Each step in the development of ureteroscopy has come from the development of new technologies. The introduction of fiberoptic beams, both rigid and flexible, has significantly reduced the caliber of the sheath, thus also greatly reducing the damage to the ureter by the ureteroscope itself. At the same time, dilation techniques have moved from blind dilation of the dilatation tube to dilatation by guidewire-guided dilators and balloons, to today’s simple hydraulic dilation, which has made ureteroscopic access to the ureter much easier. The tools for direct visual lithotripsy have also evolved, from ultrasound and liquid electrolysis to pneumatic ballast lithotripters and laser lithotripters, all of which have led to an increase in the efficiency of ureteroscopic lithotripsy.  Today, ureteroscopy has established its clinical status as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool. Due to the accumulated experience in ureteroscopy, its indications have been widened. Ureteroscopic excision techniques have been widely used for ureteral strictures and upper urinary tract tumors, and ureteral flexible scopes combined with laser have been used for the management of complex renal calculi. With the development of technology, ureteroscopy will play a more important role in the diagnosis and treatment of urological diseases.  Ureteroscopic techniques can be used for: 1. Diagnosis (1) Evaluation of filling defects or obstruction during upper urography.  (2) Evaluation of unilateral positive urine cytology.  (3) Examination of unilateral meatus hematuria.  (4) Follow-up after intracavitary treatment of migratory cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract.  Treatment (1) Treatment of upper urinary tract stones (especially ureteral stones).  (2) Ureteral intubation (retrograde contrast or drainage obstruction, upper urinary tract urinary leakage, etc.)  (3) Removal of foreign bodies from the upper urinary tract.  (4) Endoluminal treatment of upper urinary tract tumors.  (5) Dilation or endotomy of upper urinary tract strictures.  (6) Removal of fungal plaque from the upper urinary tract.