Until recently, treatment options for patients with cystine calculi were not favorable. Using holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) lasers to fragment cystine calculi, however, may provide a minimally invasive and cost-effective alternative to current treatments. This article describes cystine calculi and the diagnostic methods and current medical and surgical interventions used to treat patients and discusses the differences between flash lamp pulsed dye lasers and holmium:YAG lasers. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative considerations for laser ureterolithotripsy of cystine calculi also are discussed.
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