Regional Hospital of Santarém advances in minimally invasive surgeries for kidney stones
The team uses a flexible ureterorenoscope, a device that allows the doctor to visualize the stone, fragment it with a laser, and remove the small fragments
Flexible laser ureterorenolithotripsy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat kidney stones. Doctors introduce a flexible ureterorenoscope through the urethra and bladder to the patient's kidney to fragment the stones without the need for incisions or cuts, which makes recovery much faster.
"The patient leaves without any injury and soon goes home. After one day of postoperative care, they are already discharged, and recovery is much faster than how we used to do it before. With the cut, sometimes months after the procedure, the patient still felt discomfort in the area. Now, we can fragment the stones without any cuts. They leave with just a catheter that we remove after 20 days. From then on, it's back to normal life," explained urologist and general surgeon Alberto Tolentino Neto.
Minimally invasive laser surgery is a reality at the Regional Hospital of Baixo Amazonas Dr. Waldemar Penna (HRBA) in Santarém, western Pará. The unit is a reference in medium and high complexity for a population of 1.4 million people residing in 29 municipalities in the interior of the state.
In recent days, the medical team at HRBA has performed five procedures using the flexible ureterorenoscope, expanding patients' access to cutting-edge technology in the treatment of kidney stones.
"These are procedures of higher complexity, and we use a cutting-edge device that is used anywhere in the world for this type of procedure. They are more complex stones, located higher up, and we need this technology. It is the newest and most modern way to perform these surgeries," highlighted the doctor from the Regional Hospital.
Surgery - HRBA offers surgeries in more than 20 medical specialties, such as: oncology, orthopedics, neurosurgery, kidney transplants, organ procurement, cardiac surgeries, plastic surgeries, among others. Just between January and August 2025, the unit has already performed 4,677 medium and high complexity procedures.
The use of the flexible laser ureterorenoscope reinforces the unit's commitment to providing excellent service aligned with new health trends to the population of the western part of the state.
"We have a very well-prepared and qualified team of doctors to perform high-complexity procedures, and we are always looking for new techniques and technologies to offer the best service to our users. Laser surgeries for the removal of kidney stones accelerate our patients' recovery, and we are very happy to be able to offer this type of cutting-edge procedure through the SUS (Unified Health System) here in the interior of Pará," emphasized the hospital's general director, Matheus Coutinho.
Service - The Regional Hospital of Baixo Amazonas provides 100% referenced services, meeting the demand originating from the State Regulation Center.
The unit belongs to the Government of Pará and is managed by the Instituto Social Mais Saúde, in partnership with the State Department of Public Health (Sespa), and is located at Avenida Sérgio Henn, nº 1100, Diamantino neighborhood, in Santarém.
