First use and evaluation of a novel 6.3 Fr disposable flexible ureteroscope for stone management in duplex kidney: a case report

Background: Flexible ureteroscopy (FURS) is increasingly used as the first-line treatment for urological procedures. Disposable digital (dd-)FURS has been developed to overcome limitations such as durability, degradation, and repair cost of reusable scopes. The diameter of commercially-available models ranges from 7.5-9.9 Fr. This study aimed to report the first clinical application of a novel 6.3 Fr HU30M HugeMed dd-FURS.

Case description: We present the case of a 61-year-old female diagnosed with a left ureteric (8 mm × 7 mm) and two renal stones (6 mm × 5 mm and 5 mm × 3 mm) located at both moieties of her duplex kidney. She was opted for elective flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy. The 6.3 Fr dd-FURS was preferred to overcome the challenging anatomy. No intra-/peri-operative complication was observed and the patient made an uneventful recovery. Complete stone clearance was achieved based on 2-week follow-up computed tomography (CT).

Conclusions: The application of the 6.3 Fr dd-FURS demonstrated its feasibility, safety, and efficacy in stone retrieval. However, a thin device has its limitations, including its stiffness and working space area. Adaptation to the device during procedures or further improvements may be necessitated. Yet, this scope has potential in the management of pediatric urology procedures and complex upper urinary tracts.