Single-center North American experience with wolf Piezolith 3000 in management of urinary calculi.
OBJECTIVE
To review our experience with the newest generation piezoelectric lithotripter, the Piezolith 3000, in adult patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for solitary urinary calculi.


METHODS
We identified 139 shock wave lithotripsy procedures that had used the Piezolith 3000 from February 2005 to July 2007. All procedures were performed under intravenous sedation. Retrospective chart review was used to obtain the pertinent information. Stone-free status was defined as the absence of any fragments, and success as the absence of stone fragments >4 mm, on follow-up imaging after a single treatment.


RESULTS
The stone-free and success rate 1 month after a single shock wave lithotripsy session was 45% and 64%, respectively. Only stone size correlated with the overall success rate (P = .004). The overall complication rate was 15% and included a 5.8% major complication rate requiring intervention or admission. The median time in the procedure room was 33 minutes. The adjunctive procedure rate was 1.4%, and the secondary retreatment rate was 10%.


CONCLUSIONS
The Piezolith 3000 provides modest, but acceptable, single-treatment stone-free and success rates, with a reasonable safety profile, and offers rapid and convenient lithotripsy requiring only intravenous sedation.
Wang
Rou
R
Department of Urology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-0330, USA.
Faerber
Gary J
GJ
Roberts
William W
WW
Morris
David S
DS
Wolf
J Stuart
JS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004867:Equipment Design; D004869:Equipment Safety; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008096:Lithotripsy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009656:North America; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011336:Probability; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014545:Urinary Calculi / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*