a comparative study of holmium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser modes for the fragmentation of kidney stones

Background: the problem of human kidney stones is currently a common disease. this is due to several variables, including nutrition, genetic factors, and geographic region. kidney stones can be eliminated in several ways, including laser fragmentation, a safe and minimally harmful method because it does not require surgical intervention. objectives: this study compares hard stones and dusting modes of the holmium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (ho:yag) laser used for fragmented kidney stones.methods: the ho:yag laser with a maximum power of 30 w, pulse duration 600 μs, wavelengths 2100 nm, the maximum energy level 5 j with maximum frequency level of 30 hz, used for lithotripsy in al-sadr medical city in najaf city, iraq, at different laser parameters energy pulse and pulse rate of 0.8 j/8 hz and 1 j/10 hz, respectively, for 17 samples of kidney stones. the laser is passed by the optical fiber through a thin tube (catheter) that is inserted into the ureter through the urethra to reach the stone. results: the calcium oxalate stones are ablated more than uric acid stones at different pulse rates. in addition, the samples that fragmented by ho:yag laser with hard stones mode with the energy of 0.8 j and pulse rate of 8 hz have the highest ablation rates than dusting mode, and the dusting mode with energy 0.8 j and pulse rate 8 hz have the highest ablation rates than dusting mode with energy 1 j and pulse rate 10 hz for calcium oxalate stones.conclusion: laser lithotripsy may be a more effective treatment option for calcium oxalate stones than uric acid stones.