Ureteroscopy is an outpatient procedure most commonly done to treat stones in the ureters (the tubes that connect the bladder to the kidneys) or kidney. It may also be used to evaluate and treat other causes of kidney blockage or blood in the urine. 

Ureteroscopy is done with a ureteroscope — a long, thin tube that has an eyepiece on one end and a tiny lens with a light on the other end. In general, there are 2 ways to perform ureteroscopy for stones: 

1. If the stone is small, your doctor will insert a scope into the ureter to remove the stone. The type of scope used in this procedure will have a small basket at the end of a wire that is run through an extra channel in the ureteroscope. The basket is used to collect the stone. 
2. In cases when the stone is larger, your doctor will extend a flexible fiber through the scope up to the stone. With a laser beam shining through the scope, the doctor will break the stone into pieces small enough to be passed out of the body with urine. 

Based on the location, size, and what the stone is made or, your doctor will determine the best ureteroscopy treatment option for you.