Institutional Variation in Laser Access, Workflow, and Safety Practices Among Urologists: A Contemporary Survey.

Authors

Andrew Amenyogbe, Christopher Ballantyne, Jackson Cabo, Adam Ostergar, Mitchell R Humphreys, Karen L Stern

Published in

Lasers in surgery and medicine. Sep 23, 2026. Epub Sep 23, 2026.

Abstract

Lasers are integral to contemporary endourologic stone surgery; however, reported institutional practices regarding laser access, personnel requirements, and safety protocols vary. We sought to characterize respondent-reported laser access models, operational requirements, safety practices, and perceived barriers to care.
A cross-sectional, web-based 25-item survey was distributed between October 2024 and March 2025 through social media, professional organizations, and departmental contacts. The survey assessed practice characteristics, laser access, physician and technician responsibilities, institutional safety requirements, and perceived barriers to care. Responses were self-reported, collected anonymously, and summarized using descriptive statistics.
A total of 187 respondents completed the survey; 85.6% identified as endourologists and 61.5% practiced in academic settings. Most respondents reported institution-owned laser equipment (70.1%), while 9.6% reported contracted equipment and 20.3% combination models. Among respondents addressing contracted equipment availability (n = 58), 55.2% reported ready access after regular business hours and 46.6% on weekends. Among 182 evaluable responses, 65.4% reported that physicians could operate lasers without a technician present. Fifty-two respondents perceived that technician availability could affect patient care; among these, 40 reported potential delays in definitive treatment and 33 reported potential multiple or staged procedures. Staff laser safety goggles could be deferred according to 78.4% of evaluable responses, and 18.3% reported a prior institutional laser safety incident.
This survey identified substantial respondent-reported variation in laser access, staffing requirements, and safety practices. The findings describe perceived institutional practices and barriers and do not establish effects on treatment delays, workflow efficiency, patient outcomes, or comparative safety. Future studies should directly compare institutional models using objective measures of access, workflow, treatment delays, and safety outcomes.

PMID:
42776075
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 23 Sep 2026.

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