Previous shock-wave lithotripsy treatment does not impact the outcomes of flexible ureterorenoscopy.
OBJECTIVE
Shock-wave lithotripsy (SWL) is the first-line treatment for the active removal of small and medium-sized kidney stones. Flexible ureterorenoscopy (fURS) is recommended after failed SWL treatment. The aim of this retrospective analysis is to evaluate whether prior unsuccessful SWL treatments affect the outcomes of fURS.


METHODS
Data from 206 patients who underwent fURS for the treatment of renal stones between September 2009 and January 2011 were collected, and the patients were divided into two groups according to their previous SWL treatment. The patient demographics, stone characteristics, operation and fluoroscopy times, stone-free rates and complications were compared.


RESULTS
Of the patients, 114 (55.3%) did not undergo SWL prior to fURS (Group 1), whereas 92 (44.6%) completed a minimum of 3 sessions of SWL and waited at least 2 weeks before the fURS operation (Group 2). Although the mean stone number was higher in Group 2, this difference was not significant (p=0.06). The mean operation (p=0.12) and fluoroscopy times (p=0.69) were similar between the groups. The mean operation time per mm(2) stone and fluoroscopy time per mm(2) stone were not significantly different (p=0.64 and p=0.76, respectively). The length of the hospitalization and the overall complication rates were similar. After the third postoperative month, the stone-free rates were not different between the groups (82.5% and 86.9%, respectively, p=0.38).


CONCLUSIONS
The stone-free and complication rates of fURS were not affected by previous SWL therapy.
Department of Urology, Haseki Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
Emrah
E
Yürük
Department of Urology, Haseki Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
Murat
M
Binbay
Department of Urology, Haseki Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
Tolga
T
Akman
Department of Urology, Haseki Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
Faruk
F
Özgör
Department of Urology, Haseki Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
Yalçın
Y
Berberoğlu
Department of Urology, Haseki Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
Ahmet Yaser
AY
Müslümanoğlu
Flexible ureterorenoscopy; kidney stone; shock wave lithotripsy