Clinical Efficacy of Digital Flexible Ureteroscopy for Renal Stone Management and Postoperative Quality of Life for the Treatment of Lower Pole Stones: A Single Center, Non-Randomized, Cohort Study

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of digital flexible ureteroscopy in the management of lower pole stones and to assess patients' postoperative quality of life. Methods: A longitudinal, single-center, nonrandomized cohort study was conducted on patients with renal calculi eligible for flexible ureteroscopy. The study population comprised 44 patients diagnosed with treatment of lower pole stones who underwent treatment at Bach Mai Hospital between January 2023 and October 2024. Surgical outcomes, including surgery duration, stone-free rate, duration of hospitalization, surgical complications, and quality of life, were evaluated and monitored during the follow-up period. Results: The mean age of the patients was 51.4 years, and the mean stone size was 13.7 mm. Immediately postoperative stone-free rates were 79.5 %, 77.3 % at 1-month and 68.2 % at 3-month. The mean operative time was 73.4 minutes, the lithotripsy duration was 55.7 minutes, and the average hospital stay was 5.7 days. Only 1 minor complication (2.3%) was recorded. The quality-of-life scores significantly improved over time (p < 0.001), with most patients reporting no disruption to daily activities after 1 month. Conclusions: Single-use digital flexible ureteroscopy is a safe and effective modality for managing lower pole renal stones, offering high stone-free rates, low complication rates, and significant improvements in patient quality of life. Further large-scale, controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings and evaluate long-term outcomes.