Utility of augmented reality in endoscopic surgery for stones: European Association of Urology endourology up-to-date review

Augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) are rapidly transforming endoscopic surgery for urolithiasis: in percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PCNL), these technologies have already reached clinical maturity as navigation tools, while in ureteroscopy (URS) and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS), they are emerging as powerful cognitive and navigation platforms. Despite differences in current application scenarios, both trajectories converge toward a common goal: to make key stages of stone treatment measurable, reproducible, and less dependent on the individual experience of the surgeon. The integration of augmented reality with real-time visualization, artificial intelligence, and attention tracking systems is likely to redefine the standards of accuracy and quality in endourology in the coming years.