Metallic double pigtail ureteral stent usage during extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in the swine model: is there any effect on the ureter?
OBJECTIVE
To examine the safety and compatibility of full-length metal ureteral stent usage with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL).


METHODS
Four Resonance ureteral stents and four special Resonance ureteral stents modified to contain thermocouples were placed unilaterally in eight pigs, with contralateral ureter of each pig serving as its own control. All pigs were subjected to the same SWL protocol in both their ureters. In the animals containing the modified stents, ureter temperature was monitored during treatment. The animals were sacrificed on days 1 and 15 after treatment, and both their ureters were histologically examined.


RESULTS
No statistically significant increase (mean increase of 0.5 degrees C, p > 0.05) of stent temperature was observed during treatment. No differences in histology were observed among ureters containing stents and control ureters at both days 1 and 15 after treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
SWL appears to be harmless for the ipsilateral ureter.
Liatsikos
Evangelos N
EN
Department of Urology, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece. liatsikos@yahoo.com
Kallidonis
Panagiotis
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Kyriazis
Iason
I
Karnabatidis
Dimitrios
D
Tsamandas
Athanasios
A
Sakellaropoulos
George
G
Flaris
Nicolaos
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Rigopoulos
Christos
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Toronidis
Charalambos
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Efthimiou
Ioannis
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Filos
Kriton
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Siablis
Dimitrios
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Perimenis
Petros
P