Shock Wave Lithotripsy Versus Semirigid Ureteroscopy For Proximal Ureteral Calculi: A Comparative Matched-pair Study

Main Category: Urology / Nephrology
Article Date: 16 Aug 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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UroToday.com - Trade-offs. In this matched-pair study, 43 pairs of same sex patients with similar size proximal ureteral stones and similar degrees of hydronephrosis were treated with either SWL (Dornier Lithotriptor S) or semirigid ureteroscopy.

Success was defined as no stones seen on KUB at 3 months. While retreatments were much greater with SWL (65% vs. 2.3%), stone-free status was similar at 84% for SWL and 88% for ureteroscopy.

The complication rate was higher in the ureteroscopy group (14% vs 5%).

It really seems to be a wash: SWL is less invasive and safer but ureteroscopy provides for equal success rates with fewer retreatments.

No clear-cut winner here.

Youssef RF, El-Nahas AR, El-Assmy AM, El-Tabey NA, El-Hefnawy AS, Eraky I, El-Kenawy MR, El-Kappany HA, Sheir KZ
Urology. 2009 Jun;73(6):1184-7

Written by UroToday.com Medical Editor Ralph V. Clayman, MD

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