Ureteroscopy is an examination of the upper urinary tract, usually performed with a ureteroscope that is passed through the

urethra The urethra (: urethras or urethrae) is the tube that connects the urinary bladder to the urinary meatus, through which Placentalia, placental mammals Urination, urinate and Ejaculation, ejaculate. The external urethral sphincter is a striated ...

and the

bladder The bladder () is a hollow organ in humans and other vertebrates that stores urine from the kidneys. In placental mammals, urine enters the bladder via the ureters and exits via the urethra during urination. In humans, the bladder is a distens ...

, and then directly into the

ureter The ureters are tubes composed of smooth muscle that transport urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. In an adult human, the ureters typically measure 20 to 30 centimeters in length and about 3 to 4 millimeters in diameter. They are lin ...

. The procedure is useful in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders such as

kidney stone Kidney stone disease (known as nephrolithiasis, renal calculus disease, or urolithiasis) is a crystallopathy and occurs when there are too many minerals in the urine and not enough liquid or hydration. This imbalance causes tiny pieces of cr ...

s and urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract. Smaller stones in the bladder or lower ureter can be removed in one piece, while bigger ones are usually broken before removal during ureteroscopy. The examination may be performed with either a flexible, semi-rigid or rigid device while the patient is under anesthesia. In specific cases, the patient is free to go home after the examination.Ureteropyeloscopy.

Baylor College of Medicine The Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) is a private medical school in Houston, Texas, United States. Originally as the Baylor University College of Medicine from 1903 to 1969, the college became independent with the current name and has been se ...

. 2018 ccessed 2018 Mar 5br>
/ref> In pyeloscopy, the endoscope is designed to reach all the way to the

renal pelvis The renal pelvis or pelvis of the kidney is the funnel-like dilated part of the ureter in the kidney. It is formed by the convergence of the major calyces, acting as a funnel for urine flowing from the major calyces to the ureter. It has a mucous ...

(also called ''pyelum''), thereby allowing visualisation of the entire drainage system of the kidney.Laser Stone Surgery using Flexible Pyeloscopy
at Kidney Stone Clinic, Dr. Raymond Ko. Retrieved September 2011 The endoscope can contain an instrument port which allows for introduction of laser fibres to fragment stones, and micro-baskets to retrieve stone fragments. Kidney stones up to 2 cm in size can be treated by pyeloscopy.

References

External links

International Kidney Stone Institute

Urologic procedures Endoscopy {{med-diagnostic-stub