The Philippine Laser Era: From Access to Adoption in Modern Endourology

The story of laser technology in Philippine urology is rapidly changing. What was once an expensive technology confined to a limited number of institutions is increasingly becoming part of the armamentarium of urologists across the country. Contemporary laser platforms are now being used for ureteroscopic lithotripsy, retrograde intrarenal surgery, percutaneous stone surgery, and anatomical endoscopic enucleation of the prostate. The important question for Philippine urology is therefore shifting. It is no longer simply, “Do we have access to the technology?” It is becoming, “Are we using it to its full potential?”