Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center is the First Hospital in the Country to Acquire New Technology Designed to Assist with Surgical Precision during Kidney Stone Surgery

Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center is the first hospital in the country to invest in the new LithoVue™ Elite Single-Use Digital Flexible Ureteroscope System, and one of the first U.S. hospitals to use this next-generation system, which has the ability to monitor intrarenal pressure in real-time during ureteroscopy procedures.

Ureteroscopy is a common procedure performed by urologists to diagnose and treat a variety of problems in the urinary tract, most commonly kidney stones. It is estimated that about one in 10 people will develop a kidney stone at some point in their lives. During ureteroscopic surgery, elevated intrarenal pressure (IRP) can occur in response to fluid irrigation which is used to maintain a clear visual field. High IRP may contribute to a range of postoperative complications including systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), sepsis and kidney injury. The built-in pressure sensor on the LithoVue Elite ureteroscope tip, which you can see in the manufacturer's video, is designed to allow urologists to make informed, pressure-related clinical decisions during surgery.

“For individuals that have had one kidney stone, they have a 50% risk of developing another in the next five to seven years,” says Ravi Munver, M.D., clinical vice chair of Urology and division director of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Urologic Surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center. “This next-generation innovation is designed to facilitate surgical precision by helping urologists access, visualize and treat stones through enhanced high-resolution image quality, direct control over image and video capturing, and seamless OR integration.”

The LithoVue Elite System, consisting of the single-use digital flexible ureteroscope and the StoneSmart™ Connect Console, builds on many of the features of the original LithoVue™ System with significant next-generation innovations. In addition to intrarenal pressure monitoring, device enhancements include:

• upgraded image quality: high-resolution digital chip and advanced imaging software designed to provide faster, sharper image quality compared to the original LithoVue System;
• updated control features: two programmable buttons on the lightweight, single-use ureteroscope handle enable direct control of video and image capture without the need to coordinate with staff; and
• streamlined integration: the StoneSmart Connect Console, LithoVue Elite’s compact processing unit, is designed to work with existing operating room visualization towers and endoscopic monitors to reduce clutter and capital footprint.

“The number of people in the U.S. with kidney stones is on the rise,” says Michael Stifelman, M.D., Chair of Urology, Hackensack University Medical Center, Director of Robotic Surgery at Hackensack Meridian Health, and Professor and Chair of Urology, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. “By investing in this new system, we reaffirm our commitment to providing our patients with the most cutting-edge technology all with the goal of getting them back to living their lives as quickly as possible.”