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Panagiotis Mourmouris, Marinos Berdempes, Titos Markopoulos, Lazaros Lazarou, Lazaros Tzelves, Andreas Skolarikos Second Department of Urology, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Sismanogleio General Hospital, Athens, Greece Abstract: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is the gold standard procedure for treatment of large stones and complex kidney disorders, but its morbidity remains the highest among stone treatment procedures. In pursuit of minimizing complication rates, surgeons have developed different variations of the classic prone position in which PCNL is usually performed; one among them is supine position. In this study, we review the literature and present all available evidence on different variations in positioning during PCNL, in an effort to identify if there is a position that can minimize the morbidity of this procedure. Keywords: percutaneous nephrolithotomy, prone, supine, complications

This study analyses the relationship between food consumption and income, taking the consumption (per capita) of different food categories and GDP (per capita) as indicators. It presents the time series trends and compares the food consumption patterns for two countries-Serbia and Greece-an upper-middle income country outside of the EU and a high-income EU member country, respectively. The analysis showed that consumption of all food groups in Serbia (except milk) over two decades (1994-2016) is significantly affected by the changes in the GDP; while in Greece, only consumption of meat, fruits, grains, and sweetened products was positive or negative influenced by GDP. Trend analysis of the consumption of the different food categories showed huge differences between the two countries.

Objective: The objective of this narrative review was to search the existing literature for studies reporting measures to minimize radiation use during endoscopic management of stone disease and present ways of reducing the exposure of both patients and operating room staff., Methods: A literature review in PubMed was performed to identify studies describing protocols or measures to reduce radiation received during endourological procedures from January 1970 to August 2022. Eligible studies were those that reported outcomes for ureteroscopy or percutaneous nephrolithotripsy regarding measures to minimize radiation doses used intraoperatively, performed either in real-life theatres or using phantoms. Both comparative and non-comparative studies were deemed eligible., Results: Protection can be achieved initially at the level of diagnosis and follow-up of patients, which should be done following an algorithm and choice of more conservative imaging methods. Certain protocols, which follow principles for minimized fluoroscopy use should be implemented and urologists as well as operating room staff should be continuously trained regarding radiation damage and protection measures. Wearing protective lead equipment remains a cornerstone for personnel protection, while configuration of the operating room and adjusting X-ray machine settings can also significantly reduce radiation energy., Conclusion: There are specific measures, which can be implemented to reduce radiation exposure. These include avoiding excessive use of computed tomography scans and X-rays during diagnosis and follow-up of urolithiasis patients. Intraoperative protocols with minimal fluoroscopy use can be employed. Staff training regarding dangers of radiation plays also a major role. Use and maintenance of protective equipment and setting up the operating room properly also serve towards this goal. Machine settings can be customized appropriately and finally continuously monitoring of exposure with dosimeters can be adopted., Competing Interests: Andreas Skolarikos is the Chairman, Bhaskar Somani a Member, and Lazaros Tzelves an associate member of the EAU Urolithiasis Guideline Panel; Lazaros Tzelves, Ioannis Mykoniatis, Patrick Juliebø-Jones, Belthangady M. Zeeshan Hameed, and Amelia Pietropaolo are members of the EAU Young Academic Urologists, Urolithiasis & Endourology Working Party. The other authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2023 Editorial Office of Asian Journal of Urology. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

Objectives: Ureteroscopy is one of the commonest procedures performed to manage urolithiasis. Flexible ureteroscopy has been traditionally based on reusable, fiber-optic ureteroscopes. Technology advancements permitted the development of single-use scopes with digital image. The aim of this study is to compare efficacy and safety between a reusable, fiberoptic ureteroscope with a single-use, digital scope., Patients and Methods: We collected data based on chart review from a prospectively collected database on a tertiary, high-volume hospital in Greece. Baseline, perioperative and postoperative data were gathered and analyzed. Chi-square and Fisher's exact test was used to compare qualitative data and unpaired t-test for continuous data, with a statistical significance set at a = 0.05., Results: 40 patients underwent flexible ureteroscopy with a single- use digital scope, while 37 with the reusable scope. The two groups were matched regarding baseline characteristics and stone-related parameters. After data analysis, a shorter operative time in favor of single-use flexible ureteroscope was detected (45 vs 65 min, p = 0.001), while safety was also in favor of this type of scope with a significantly higher immediate stonefree rate (70% vs 43%, p = 0.005). Overall complications did not differ between the two groups, although a lower sepsis rate was detected in patients treated with single-use scope., Conclusions: Our findings indicate that single-use, digital ureteroscopes are a viable alternative for flexible ureteroscopy and management of urolithiasis, especially in centers with deficient facilities for sterilization and ensured funds for more expensive reusable scopes.

Laser disintegration of urinary stones is a cornerstone of urolithiasis treatment in the modern era. Despite the wide clinical use of stone lasers, basic and advanced technological achievements and developments are difficult to comprehend and interpret by the average urologist. A descriptive analysis of laser production and stone disintegration mechanisms was performed. We focused on physics of modern types of lithotripters, the construction of laser fibers, laser parameters, new modes, settings, and lithotripsy techniques. The main principle of laser emission remains the same since the first emitting laser was produced. Peak power density and short interaction time lead to photothermal effects responsible for stone disintegration. Modern lithotripters such as Holmium: YAG (low/high power, Moses technology) and thulium fiber laser show basic construction differences with the physical properties of the latter being superior, at least in in vitro studies. By adjusting lasing parameters, a wide spectrum of stone ablation from fragmentation to dusting can be achieved. New technology allows for the production of real dust. Knowledge of laser fiber construction and physical properties are useful in marketing and clinical use. Urologists should understand the physical and physiological background of the lasers used in their everyday practice for stone fragmentation.