title: Clinical observation of different minimally invasive surgeries for the treatment of impacted upper ureteral calculi.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the clinical effects of three minimally invasive surgeries on the treatment of impacted upper ureteral calculi.
  
  
  METHODS
  135 patients with impacted upper ureteral calculi were selected and randomly divided into three groups (Group A-C) (n=45), which were treated with transurethral ureteroscopic lithotripsy, minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy, and retroperitoneal laparoscopic ureterolithotomy respectively. Relevant results of the three groups were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The surgery time of Group C was significantly longer than those of Group A and Group B (P < 0.05). The postoperative hospitalization time of Group B was significantly longer than those of Group A and Group C (P < 0.05). 37.78% (17/45) of Group A patients required extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, being significantly more than those in Group B (6.67%, 3/45) and Group C (0, 0/45) (P < 0.05). The postoperative calculus clearance rate of Group A (51.11%, 82.22%) was significantly lower than those of Group B (91.11%, 97.78%) and Group C (93.33%, 100%) (P < 0.05). The incidence rates of postoperative complications in Group A-C were 11.11% (5/45), 8.89% (4/45) and 6.67% (3/45) respectively without significant differences (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The three surgical methods for impacted upper ureteral calculi should be selected according to practical conditions to improve therapeutic effects and to ensure safe surgery.
authors.affiliation: Yuanhua Liu, Department of Urinary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434000, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yuanhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Zhangyan Zhou, Department of Urinary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434000, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Zhangyan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: An Xia, Department of Urinary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434000, P. R. China.
authors.forename: An
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Haitao Dai, Department of Urinary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434000, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Haitao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Linjie Guo, Department of Urinary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434000, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Linjie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Jiang Zheng, Department of Urinary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434000, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
keywords: Impacted upper ureteral calculus; Minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy; Retroperitoneal laparoscopic ureterolithotomy; Transurethral ureteroscopic lithotripsy