BACKGROUND In vitro experiments have shown that holmium laser energy can effectively ablate even calcified plaque in human arterial vessels. Because high-energy densities from holmium lasers can easily be transmitted through quartz fibers, this solid-state laser has been suggested as an alternative intraluminal treatment of atherosclerotic plaque. METHODS AND RESULTS To develop an intimal pla...

introduction: the aim of this study is to compare holmium laser (ll) with pneumatic lithoclast (pl) in patients with upper ureteral stones and their ability to destruct the stones and making the patient stone free. we also compare the duration of these procedures and their complications, such as urosepsis, perforation, and pushing the stone backward. methods: this has been a clinical randomized...

introduction: male urethral stricture is a complicated urologic disease that could be successfully treated using internal urethrotomy. laser internal urethrotomy has been used in many cases with favorable outcome in many studies. holmium: yag laser with its incisional properties on tissue is one of the laser types applied for internal urethrotomy. methods: we present a 19 year-old male with his...

We present a holmium-doped all-fiber master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) system operating at 2108 nm targeting optical frequency conversion applications. The MOPA delivers pulses of 0.52 mJ energy 10 kHz repetition rate after three amplification stages, with close to square-shaped temporal profile 50 ns duration, diffraction-limited beam quality and linear polarization. Challenges achievin...

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to assess the safety and effectiveness of ureteroscopy and Holmium: Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet lithotripsy for the treatment of ureteral stones with different localizations in symptomatic pregnant women. METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed on 19 pregnant patients referred to our center between January 2005 and December 2012 with symptomatic hydrone...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the usefulness of a beta-emitting radionuclide (holmium-166-chitosan complex) as a sclerosing agent for the treatment of renal cysts. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using 10-30 mCi of holmium-166-chitosan complex, 20 renal cysts in 17 patients (14 male and 3 female patients, ranging in age from 47 to 82 years) were treated by percutaneous sclerotherapy under ultrasonographic guid...

Introduction: Internal radiation therapy using radioactive Holmium-166 loaded microspheres (HoMS) has shown to be a promising technique for treatment of liver metastases [1]. Unlike Yttrium-90 microspheres, which lack imaging capabilities, HoMS can be detected by Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) using the Holmium-166 photopeak and by MRI using the paramagnetic properties of Ho...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to compare Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate with another minimally invasive technique, the laparoscopic simple prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS We compared outcomes of a series of 40 patients who underwent laparoscopic simple prostatectomy (n=20) with laser enucleation of the prostate (n=20) for large adenomas (>100 grams) at our institution. St...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Advances in endoscopic techniques have transformed the management of urolithiasis. We sought to evaluate the role of such urological interventions for the treatment of complex biliary calculi. METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of all patients (n=9) undergoing percutaneous holmium laser lithotripsy for complicated biliary calculi over a 4-year period (12/200...

PURPOSE To evaluate the clinical efficacy of flexible ureteroscope (F-URS) combined with holmium laser lithotripter in treating renal calculi in horseshoe kidney. MATERIALS AND METHODS From November 2010 to December 2013, the medical history and charts of sixteen patients (mean age 42.9 ± 11.6 years, range 26-66 years), including 13 males and 3 females were analyzed retrospectively. Mean ston...