7.5 f flexx2

The following equipment was used: 100-W holmium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser (VersaPulse PowerSuite; Lumenis, Yokneam, Israel) with a 200- or 365-μm laser fibre (SlimLine 200 or 365 μm; Lumenis), a flexible ureteroscope (7.5-F FlexX2; Karl Storz, Tuttlingen, Germany, or 7.95-F URF-P6; Olympus, Tokyo, Japan), a semi-rigid ureteroscope (6.0/7.5 F or 8.0/9.8 F; Wolf, Knittlingen, Germany), an irrigation system (single-action pumping system; Boston Scientific, Natick, MA, USA), a UAS (Flexor 12/14 F or 9.5/11.5 F; Cook Medical, Bloomington, IN, USA), a single-use basket holder (M-arm; MC Medical, Tokyo, Japan), and a basket catheter (N-gage, 1.7 F; Cook Medical).

The access sheath used was a 9.5/11F or 12F/14F or 14F/16F Cook Flexor UAS sheath (Cook Medical, USA) wherein a size 45 cm length was used for males, a 35 cm length was used for females and paediatric patients. Flexible ureteroscopy was done using a 7.5F Flex X2 flexible ureteroscopes [Karl Storz Endoscopy (UK) Ltd.,Slough, UK] with a holmium:YAG laser [20 W or 100 W; Lumenis (UK) Ltd., Elstree, UK] using a 272 micron laser fiber (Lumenis, Inc.). Stone fragment was removed for stone analysis using a Cook NGage nitinol stone extractor (Cook Medical, USA). A 6F ureteric stent (Cook Medical or Coloplast) was inserted post-operatively in majority of patients and removed a few weeks postoperatively.