According to Dr. Milind Bapat ,Kidney Stone Specialist in Pune this is endoscopic treatment of ureter stones using a mini-scope. Under general anaesthesia, the scope is passed via the urethra into the bladder and up the ureter. Using a laser or lithoclast probe, direct contact is made on the stone to break it into smaller pieces. These tiny stone pieces will pass out on their own. Sometimes a wire basket is used to extract the stone pieces.
This surgery takes 30 Minutes on average and can be done as a day case under general anaesthesia. Occasionally, a double-J (DJ) stent may need to be inserted after the procedure if there is any injury to the ureter wall or if there is gross swelling of the kidney caused by the stone. The success rate for stones lodged in the lower ureter is near 100%. For stones lodged at the mid- to upper ureter, there is a chance they may float up into the kidney beyond the reach of the scope. If this happens, then a DJ stent is inserted and the stone then managed by ESWL. The advantages of this method over ESWL is that even hard stones can be broken and the ureter opening is simultaneously dilated by the scope to facilitate subsequent stone passage.

Ureteroscopy is performed under anaesthesia. Most cases will require a general anaesthetic (one is “put to sleep”) or spinal anaesthetic (a needle in the back “freezes” you below the waist and you remain conscious). Simpler cases can be performed comfortably with sedation alone.After the anaesthetic is administered, a long, narrow telescope (ureteroscope) is passed through the urethra into the bladder and up the ureter to the area of concern. X-rays are often taken during the procedure.

According to Dr. Milind Bapat , Kidney Stone Specialist in Pune, a kidney stone blocking a ureter can often be removed by trapping it in a wire “basket” and carefully pulling it out. Various instruments including laser, ultrasound, or mechanical energy are available to fragment larger stones and allow their passage or removal. These specialized instruments may not be available at all hospitals.
Upon completion of the procedure, a thin plastic tube (ureteric stent) may be placed temporarily in the ureter to prevent blockage while any swelling resolves. This tubemust be removed, usually within a few days or weeks. Many patients can be discharged from hospital on the day of their ureteroscopy.