ABSTRACT
Aim:
To analyze the effect of double-J stent placement on shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) success in the treatment of relatively large (15-25 mm) upper and middle calyceal stones.
Methods:
A total of 167 patients who had 15-25 mm opaque upper or middle calyceal stones and scheduled for SWL were included in the study. Patients with solitary kidney, urinary system anomalies, skeletal anomalies, previous urologic surgery, severe calyceal dilatation, untreated urinary tract infection, bleeding disorder, eGFR<60 and suspected pregnancy were excluded from the study. The remaining 148 patients were randomized into two groups as stented and non-stented. Thirty-one patients whose stones could not be fragmantated despite three sessions were also excluded. A total of 117 patients (30 stented and 87 non-stented) were further analyzed. The groups were compared in terms of patient- and stone-related factors.
Results:
Eighty-nine (76%) patients were male and 28 (24%) were female. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of age, gender, body mass index, stone side, stone size, skin-to-stone distance, Hounsfield unit and renal parenchymal thickness. The success rate was 70% and 51.7% in the stented and non-stented groups, respectively (p=0.31).
Conclusion:
Prestenting does not affect the success of SWL in the treatment of 15-25 mm upper and middle calyceal stones.