Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Single-use (SU) ureteroscopes first became available in the United States (U.S.) in 2015 (FDA approved in 2011) alleviating availability issues and repair and reprocessing downtime that are commonly encountered across endoscopy specialties, sometimes causing delays or rescheduling of patient care. This study sought to evaluate the performance of the new aScope 5 Uretero (aSC5) SU ureteroscope from the perspective of predominantly RU ureteroscope users.
METHODS: From July to September 2024, 39 flexible ureteroscopies utilizing the aSC5 were completed by 11 board-certified urologists who predominantly use RU scopes in academic medical centers, community hospitals and surgery centers across the U.S. Following each procedure, participants completed a survey to assess the performance of the aSC5 system compared to their current RU platform. A 5-point qualitative scale was used to compare the performance from ‘Much worse’ (1) to ‘Much better’ (5) and converted to a numerical scale for analysis where comparable received a rating of 3.
RESULTS: Compared to urologist’s RU ureteroscope platforms, the aSC5 was rated as ‘comparable’ (rating of 3) or higher for each metric captured (image quality:3.8, image quality with laser use:3.4, ergonomics (weight & feel):4.3, ease of tool passage:3.2, ability to aspirate fluids:3.4, maneuverability:3.8, torque transmission:3.6, articulation without tool:3.7, articulation with tool:3.4, performance of processing & display unit:3.7, overall ease of use and setup:4.1, and overall satisfaction:3.8). More than half (>50%) of urologist ratings indicated ‘better’ to ‘much better’ performance of the aSC5 for image quality, ergonomics, maneuverability, performance of display & processing unit, overall ease of use and overall satisfaction.
CONCLUSIONS: The aSC5 SU platform was rated as comparable or better than the current RU ureteroscope platform of participating urologists. By showing that SU ureteroscopes are equivalent or better performing, these scopes may pose a cost-effective alternative for RU, especially when experiencing high breakage rates due to complex cases.