Fragmentation Vs Dusting With FANS for Renal Stones Less Than 2cm: A Randomized Controlled Study

The use of FANS has changed the operative landscape of RIRS by allowing continuous active suction-assisted clearance of ablated stone material in real time. Use of fragmentation technique in FANS requires high-energy to reduce stone burden into small fragments, followed by active suction of residual fine material. Dusting with FANS, on the other hand, converts the entire stone volume into sub-millimetre particulate that is continuously suctioned away during lasing potentially offering a more streamlined workflow with potentially less energy usage, reduced mechanical stress on the ureteroscope working channel, and fewer scope withdrawals. The combination of TFL dusting with FANS-assisted real-time evacuation may produce stone-free outcomes equivalent or superior to fragmentation, while offering these additional operative efficiencies.

Whether dusting using TFL with FANS is non-inferior or indeed superior to fragmentation using TFL with FANS in terms of stone-free rate at one month has not been evaluated in prospective randomised trial yet. This study aims to answer that specific question in patients with renal stone less than 2 cm.