efficacy and safety of laser lithotripsy in pregnancy

introduction: the aim of our study was to assess the efficacy and safety of laser lithotripsy in pregnant patients. methods: in this retrospective study, we reviewed the 15 pregnant women who have been treated for ureteral stones with semi-rigid ureteroscope and holmium laser at our center between januarys 2007and april 2015. results: the mean age of patients and mean gestational age was 29.3 years old 27.3 weeks respectively. mean size of stones was 7.84 mm. twelve patients had renal colic, and hematuria was found in 3 cases. irritative urinary symptoms such as frequency and urgency detected in 6 ones and 2 patients had fever. the stone of all patients were fragmented by using holmium laser lithotripter. in 5 patients stone residual fragments were removed by grasper while other 10 patients were left to pass fragments spontaneously. no intraoperative and postoperative urological or obstetric complication was seen. conclusion: laser lithotripsy is safe and efficacious in pregnant patients who have ureteral stone that does not respond to conservative management.