Outcome assessment of double-J stents during extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy of small solitary renal calculi.
The utility of indwelling double-J ureteral stents during extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) of renal calculi is ill defined. We evaluated 179 patients treated with SWL for small (< 20 mm in diameter) solitary renal calculi with (N = 27) or without (N = 152) indwelling ureteral stents. There was no significant difference in the stone-free rates at 1 month (both 52%) and 3 months (61% nonstented group v 67% stented group; P = 0.45) or in the retreatment rates (13.3% nonstented group v 14.8% stented group; P = 0.60). The incidence and severity of pain/renal colic were similar for the two treatment groups. There was minimal morbidity associated with SWL in either group. Placement of double-J stents for the purpose of improving stone-free rates, alleviating pain, or preventing ureteral obstruction in conjunction with SWL of solitary renal calculi < 20 mm in diameter is unnecessary.
Low
R K
RK
Department of Urology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, USA.
Stoller
M L
ML
Irby
P
P
Keeler
L
L
Elhilali
M
M
D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007669:Kidney Calculi / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008096:Lithotripsy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D015607:Stents; D014513:Ureter