MONROE, La.– The state of Louisiana is right in the middle of the kidney stone belt, meaning kidney stones are much more common than in the general population.
“Lots of people come in with kidney stones and it is certainly a painful and difficult problem to deal with if it is you that has the kidney stones,” said Dr. Paul Murphy, Urologist with Affinity Urology.
But the Olympus Soltive Laser System could be a turning point for the urology departments across the state and region. The laser system breaks up the stones into smaller fragments so that they can be extracted easier.
“This technology helps us break up stones efficiently, which shortens the length of procedure which can make it more comfortable for the patient. They wake up with less pain and can get back to work and their regular life quicker,” said Dr. Murphy.
Dr. Paul Murphy, a Urologist with Affinity in Monroe, says they’ve been using lasers to break up stones for a long time. However, this was the first major breakthrough in laser technology in the past two decades.
“The advancements they’ve made are pretty revelatory and it’s the first time we’ve had a big breakthrough in a long time. It’s nice that we have it in our community too,” said Murphy.
In addition to eliminating kidney stones, doctors say it can help with prostate enlargement and a less invasive option for removing tumors found in the kidney.
“Sometimes you can use this laser to treat small tumors in the kidney without having to take the entire kidney out. That is a huge benefit for the patient if they are a candidate for that,” said Dr. Murphy.
Doctors say the Olympus Soltive Laser uses a low maintenance technology so the cost of use is less for the hospital. They hope it will encourage other hospitals to use one as well.
