Purpose: During ureteroscopic basketing of ureteral calculi a stone may bec
ome engaged in the basket and the basket impacted in the ureter. We describ
e an endoscopic technique of managing the impacted basket and stone.
Materials and Methods: The ureteroscope is back loaded off of the basket, a
nd passed into the ureter beside the basket and stone. The holmium:YAG lase
r is used to irradiate a basket wire, fracturing the wire and releasing the
stone. The basket is removed and the stone managed by holmium:YAG lithotri
psy.
Results: We successfully treated 3 consecutive patients with this technique
. No injuries were observed.
Conclusions: The holmium:YAG laser may be used to free an impacted stone ba
sket containing a ureteral calculus.