The emergence of new aspiration devices for stone disease has been a welcome advancement in the field of endourology, according to Joseph Song, MD.
In a recent interview with Urology Times®, Song outlined the growing excitement surrounding these technologies, touching on their role in clinical practice as well as potential directions for future research. Overall, he said, aspiration technologies such as the CVAC device have the potential to reshape not only care delivery, but also long-term treatment outcomes.
In discussing the CVAC device, which was FDA cleared in March 2024, Song noted, “I think it’s something that’s shown a lot of promise. I suspect it’s going to transform the way a lot of us do ureteroscopy and also transform some of the outcomes our patients are going to see.”
Song is a urologist with Georgia Urology in Atlanta, Georgia.
However, there are some remaining questions when it comes to the use of these aspiration devices in clinical practice. According to Song, future research might include long-term data on stone-free rates with the steerable ureteroscopic renal evacuation (SURE) procedure vs rates with traditional ureteroscopy. Based on the current data, Song predicts that these suction-based devices are indeed keeping patients free of stones, which he says is an exciting advancement for the field.
He explained, “For the first time in my career, I’m able to tell a patient, ‘I got you 100% free of stones—not a single fragment that we can visually see.’ Whereas before, when we say you’re stone free, we mean you’re free of larger pieces.”