Intracorporeal lithotripsy with the Swiss lithoclast.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the use of the Swiss lithoclast in the management of urinary calculi.


METHODS
Between January and November 1993, 60 patients with a total of 61 urinary calculi were treated with the Swiss lithoclast. Forty patients had a ureteric calculus, two had a ureterocele with a calculus, one a steinstrasse, 16 a vesical stone and two a urethral calculus. Eighty per cent of patients were treated on a day-care basis.


RESULTS
Fragmentation of the urinary calculi was successful in 59 of the 60 patients. Both patients with a urethral calculus and 15 of 16 with a vesical calculus were stone-free after the procedure. All those with a ureteric calculus were stone-free at 6 weeks. There were no intra-operative or long-term complications directly related to the use of the Swiss lithoclast.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study show that the Swiss lithoclast is a simple, safe, reliable and economical method of endoscopic lithotripsy for the treatment of urinary tract calculi. Although the lithoclast's use is limited to rigid or semi-rigid endoscopes there is now a suction facility for the immediate removal of small stone fragments.
Wadhwa
S N
SN
Department of Urology, All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
Hemal
A K
AK
Sharma
R K
RK
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008096:Lithotripsy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D014513:Ureter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014514:Ureteral Calculi / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001744:Urinary Bladder Calculi / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D014545:Urinary Calculi / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*