Endoscopic Approach to Bladder Stones

Bladder stones have been recognized and treated since ancient times. The appearance of the first variants of lithotomy identified urology as a distinct medical specialty. Bladder stones can be classified according to their origin and the mechanism of formation into migrating, primary (idiopathic), or secondary stones. Introduced by Bigelow, transurethral cystolitholapaxy was performed by tactile lithotripsy until the late 1800s. Technological advances, including both modern instruments and energy sources for achieving an increasingly efficient and less aggressive fragmentation, have significantly improved this procedure.