Percutaneous antegrade management of large proximal ureteral stones using non-papillary puncture

Objective:To evaluate the feasibility and the safety of medial non-papillary percutaneous nephrolithotomy(npPCNL)for the management of large proximal ureteral stones.Methods:We evaluated prospectively collected data of 37 patients with large proximal ureteral stones more than 1.5 cm in diameter treated by prone npPCNL.Depending on stone size,in-toto stone removal or lithotripsy using the Lithoclast®Trilogy(EMS Medical,Nyon,Switzerland)was performed.Perioperative parameters including operative time(from start of puncture to the skin suturing),stone extraction time(from the first insertion of the nephroscope to the extraction of all stone fragments),and the stone-free rate were evaluated.Results:Twenty-one males and 16 females underwent npPCNL for the management of large upper ureteral calculi.The median age and stone size of treated patients were 58(interquartile range[IQR]:51-69)years and 19.3(IQR:18.0-22.0)mm,respectively.The median operative time and stone extraction time were 25(IQR:21-29)min and 8(IQR:7-10)min,respectively.One case(2.7%)of postoperative bleeding and two cases(5.4%)of prolonged fever were managed conservatively.The stone-free rate at a 1-month follow-up was 94.6%.Conclusion:The npPCNL provides a straight route to the ureteropelvic junction and proximal ureter.Approaching from a dilated portion of the ureter under low irrigation pressure with larger diameter instruments results in effective and safe stone extraction within a few minutes.

Comprehensive review on small common bile duct stones

Common bile duct stones are among the most common conditions encountered by endoscopists.Therefore,it is well researched;however,some items,such as indications for endoscopic papillary balloon dilatation(EPBD),safety of EPBD and endoscopic sphincterotomy in patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy or direct oral anticoagulant,selection strategy for retrieval balloons and baskets,lack adequate evidence.Therefore,the guidelines have been updated with new research,while others remain unchanged due to weak evidence.In this review,we comprehensively summarize the standard methods in guidelines and new findings from recent studies on papillary dilation,stone retrieval devices,difficult-to-treat cases,troubleshooting during the procedure,and complicated cases of cholangitis,cholecystolithiasis,or distal biliary stricture.

Use of a modified ureteral access sheath in semi-rigid ureteroscopy to treat large upper ureteral stones is associated with high stone free rates

Objective:To examine differences in outcomes of semi-rigid ureteroscopy(URS)with or without a modified-ureteral-access-sheath(mUAS)to treat large upper ureteral stones.Methods:Patients with single,radio-opaque large upper ureteral stone(≥10 mm)treated using semi-rigid URS between August 2013 and October 2016 were retrospectively evaluated.The stone-free status was determined from Kidney-ureter-bladder(KUB)X-ray films taken on postoperative Day 1 and after 1 month.Results:Of 103 patients meeting inclusion criteria,43(41.75%)and 60(58.25%)were treated with semi-rigid URS with and without mUAS,respectively.The immediate stone-free rate(SFR)for the mUAS group was significantly higher than the non-mUAS group(40[93.0%]vs.46[76.7%];p=0.033).The SFR at 1 month was also high for patients treated using mUAS,but not statistically different from patients not treated with mUAS(41[95.3%]mUAS vs.51[85.0%]non-mUAS;p=0.115).Auxiliary procedure rates were significantly lower for mUAS patients compared to non-mUAS patients(2[4.7%]vs.14[23.3%];p=0.01).There were no significant differences in surgical duration and hospital stays,and the overall complication rates were statistically similar for mUAS patients compared to non-mUAS patients(1[2.3%]vs.3[5.0%];p=0.638).

Design of Small Stone Asphalt Mixture based on Anti-skidding Performance

Small stone asphalt mixture（SSAM） was designed by Bailey method and coarse aggregate voids-filling method.The optimum asphalt content was determined by Marshal test.Surface texture depth for SSAM with different voidage,and the BPN of SSAM and SMA before after wet track abrasion were measured.The experimental results indicate that the surface texture depth increases with the decreasing of asphalt aggregate ratio.The SSAM with the optimal asphalt content has a good skid resistance.BPN of asphalt mixture decreases with the increasing of wearing time,but the extent of reduction is different.The reduction rate of BPN for SSAM is smaller than that of SMA,indicating that SSAM has a good skid resistance attenuation capacity.Finally,the other properties of SSAM are also evaluated,showing that the splitting strength and modulus and SSAM are higher than those of SMA,and the other properties of SSAM,such as high-temperature performance and water stability can also satisfy the technical requirements.

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy Treatment for Renal and Ureteral Stones in Duhok City

The present study reports the results of extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy treatment for renal and ureteral stones in Duhok city. The data were collected from the center of breakdown kidney stones in Duhok hospital. There were a total of 40 patients (25 males and 15 females) aged from 20 to 60 years old. The patients harboring (23 renal and 17 ureteral) stones of size ranged from 7.5 to 20 mm. Almost stones are of average size 9 mm and composed of uric acid, calcium and cystine stones. The study has been carried out by taking into consideration the parameters (type, sizes, composition and location of stone as well as region and ages of patients, also power, number of shock wave and sessions). The results show that the stones size increases according to increasing ages of patients (male and female) for uric acid ureter stone and calcium (renal, ureter) stones. Also (renal, ureter) stone size for patients aged from 20 to 30 years old increases from the minimum value for phosphate to maximum value for cystine stones, while for patients aged from 40 to 60 years old, the minimum size is obtained for calcium oxalate and the maximum size for calcium only. On the other hand, for uric acid stones of average size 9 mm, number of shock wave and sessions as well as the power required to breakdown the stones decrease nearly exponentially according to enhancing patients’ ages. At the same time, it's found that for adult patients (20 - 30 years old), number of sessions and the power of shock wave decrease also according to increasing size of calcium and cystine stones. Contrary to that, for the same ages and renal, uretral cysteine stones number of shock wave needed to breakdown large stones will be increased.

Primary squamous cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid differentiation of the kidney associated with ureteral stone obstruction: A case report

BACKGROUND Primary squamous cell carcinoma(SCC)with sarcomatoid differentiation of the kidney was rarely reported.This disease is usually related to renal stones,and due to a lack of symptoms and radiological features,patients usually attend the hospital with late stage disease.CASE SUMMARY A 54-years-old female presented with left flank pain and an abdominal mass for 6 mo.Imaging studies revealed that the left kidney was enlarged and massive hydronephrosis was present.A stone was seen in the ureteropelvic junction.The patient subsequently underwent left radical nephrectomy,and histopathological examination of the mass revealed a poorly differentiated renal SCC with sarcomatoid differentiation.After primary surgery,the patient received four cycles of tirelizumab.Four months later,the patient developed adrenal,lymph,and uterine appendage metastases.CONCLUSION SCC of the kidney has a poor prognosis,and should be considered in patients with a renal mass,long-standing urinary calculi and massive hydronephrosis.

Mechanism of therapeutic effects of Huangbo on ureteral stones based on network pharmacology

Objective:To analyze the effective chemical components and action targets of Phellodendron chinense,and to study the mechanism of Phellodendron chinense in treating ureteral stones.Methods:Search the potential chemical active substances of Phellodendron chinense and target proteins acting on the human body through the TCMSP database,and use the genomic annotation database platform(Genecards)to predict the target of ureteral stones,and use the uniprot database Query the corresponding gene names,build a network diagram of"drug-disease-target"with the help of Cytoscape(3.7.2)software,build a protein interaction network through the String database platform,and then use the Bioconductor platform and R language GO Enrichment analysis and KEGG enrichment analysis.Results:Through screening,a total of 36 effective chemical constituents of Phellodendron chinense,8 key chemical constituents related to ureteral calculi,and 20 common targets of Phellodendron-ureteral calculi were obtained.The core genes of PPI were FOS,CXCL8,IL6,SERPINE1,VEGFA,EGF,NOS3,SPP1,CCL2,CCND1,EGFR,HMOX1,IL10,CDKN1A,CRP;obtained 36 GO biological processes,and 14 KEGG related signaling pathways,including HIF-1 signaling pathway,FoxO signaling pathway,EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance,endocrine resistance,viral protein interaction with cytokines and cytokine receptors,calcium signaling pathway,p53 signaling pathway,ErbB signaling pathway,MAPK signaling pathway,Ras signaling pathway.Conclusion:Phellodendron can achieve the effect of treating ureteral calculi through multiple targets and multiple ways,which provides a theoretical basis for the future extraction of effective components to treat ureteral calculi.

Simple Renal Cyst with Clustering of Small Stones in an Elderly Patient withType II Diabetes Mellitus

Intracystic renal stones are rare.The authors wishto report here an aged case of type 2 diabetes mellituscomplicated with sohtary renal cyst with intracysticstones.

Endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation alone or combined with small or complete sphincterotomy for the removal of large common bile duct stones

Background:Endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation(EPLBD)has been proposed as an alternative to manage large bile duct stones.However,EPLBD alone or combined with sphincterotomy remains controversial.Methods:Between Jan.2014 and Dec.2017,195 consecutive patients with proven large common bile duct stones(size≥10 mm)were retrospectively analyzed.We compared the baseline characteristics,procedure time,success rate of stone removal and morbidity outcomes in different groups.Results:There were no significant difference between baseline characteristics of the groups compared.A total of 89.2%,95.4%,and 93.8% of the patients in the EPLBD,EPLBD+small sphincterotomy(SES),and EPLBD+complete sphincterotomy(CES)groups had stones cleared(P=0.473),respectively.There was no difference in terms of procedure time(33.5±10.2,34.8±9.0,34.9±8.2,in the EPLBD,EPLBD+SES,and EPLBD+CES groups,respectively).However,when assigned to tvvo groups according to bile duct stones diameter(bile duct stones<13 mm,bile duct stones≥13 mm).in the bile duct stones<13 mm group,the procedure time was significantly less in the EPLBD group than the EPLBD+SES group and the EPLBD+CES group(P=0.028).In the bile duct stones≥13 mm group,the mechanical lithotripsy rate of EPLBD was significantly higher compared to EPLBD+SES or EPLBD+CES(P=0.032).The complication rates were similar among all groups.Conclusions:The diameter of bile duct stones should be taken into consideration when choosing EPLBD alone or combined with small sphincterotomy for the removal of common bile duct stones.

Comparison of combined laparoscopic ureterolithotomy and flexible ureteroscopy with percutaneous nephrolithotomy for removing large impacted upper ureteral stones with concurrent renal stones

Objectives:The present study compared the safety and efficacy of combined laparoscopic ureterolithotomy(LU)and flexible ureteroscopy with percutaneous nephrolithotomy(PCNL)for removing large impacted upper ureteral stones with concurrent renal stones.Methods:This study included 52 patients who underwent combined LU and retrograde flexible ureteroscopy for removing renal stones(group A)or PCNL(group B)for removing large upper impacted ureteral stones and concurrent renal stones at our department from January 2014 to December 2016.Patient demographics,stone characteristics,and procedure-related parameters including stone-free rate,operation time,hospital stay after surgery,mean decrease in hemoglobin levels,visual analog scale(VAS)score,auxiliary procedure rate,and complication rate were compared between groups A and B.Results:Results of this study showed that both procedures were effective for removing large impacted upper ureteral stones with concurrent renal stones.The stone-free rate after a single procedure was 95.7%in group A and 89.7%in group B(p?0.62).The operation time was longer in group A than in group B(112.2±23.3 min versus 96.2±16.4 min,p?0.006).However,no significant difference was observed between the two groups with respect to the length of hospital stay after the surgery(5 days versus 6 days,p?0.06).The decrease in hemoglobin levels was significantly higher in group B than in group A(0.64±0.36 g/dL versus1.44±0.65 g/dL,p<0.0001).The mean VAS scores obtained at 24 hours(2.91±1.08 versus 5.10±1.01,p<0.0001)and 48 hours after the surgery(1.09±0.73 versus 2.28±0.96,p<0.0001)were significantly higher for group B than for group A.Moreover,the auxiliary procedure rate was higher in group B than in group A(6.9%versus 0%).Conclusion:These results indicate that both combined LU and flexible ureteroscopy and PCNL are suitable for removing large impacted upper ureteral stones with concurrent renal stones and are associated with a high rate of patients being stone free afterwards.Despite the longer operation time,the combined laparoscopic and endourological procedure may be associated with less postoperative pain and fewer major complications.However,the choice of treatment depends on the preferences of surgeons and patients.

Efficacy of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) versus Pneumatic Ureteroscopic Lithotripsy (URSL) for Lower Ureteral Stones Therapy in Asia: A Meta-Analysis

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or pneumatic ureteroscopic lithotripsy for lower ureteral stones therapy, we sought to identify and summarize randomized controlled trials that were used to treat distal ureteral stone. Methods: Eligible studies were identified from electronic databases. Database search, quality assessment, and data extraction were performed by two reviewers independently. Our primary outcome was the stone-free rate. Secondary outcomes were the fragmentation rate, complications and the rate of re-treatment and secondary procedures. The results were assessed by Review Manager 5.0. Publication bias was evaluated by Stata 11.0. Results: 13 trials were included. Meta-analysis of pooled data showed that pneumatic ureteroscopic lithotripsy demonstrated a significant advantage over extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (OR = 0.14, 95% CI [0.09, 0.23], P < 0.00001) in the stone-free rate;the extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy had statistical disadvantages over pneumatic ureteroscopic lithotripsy in the fragmentation rate of ureteral stones (OR = 0.14, 95% CI [0.05, 0.39], P = 0.0002);and the rate of re-treatment and secondary procedure was lower in pneumatic ureteroscopic lithotripsy than in extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (OR = 5.37, 95% CI [2.61, 11.07], P < 0.00001). Our pooled results showed that there was no statistical difference between extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and pneumatic ureteroscopic lithotripsy in hematuresis, ureteral stricture and urosepsis or fever. Finally extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy had a higher incidence of colic pain than pneumatic ureteroscopic lithotripsy. Conclusion: The present meta-analysis suggested that pneumatic ureteroscopic lithotripsy had large advantages over extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in the treatment of lower ureteral stones.

Breakdown of Kidney and Ureteral Stones Using Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy in Zakho City

In the present study, investigation of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in Zakho City for breakdown kidney and ureteral stones has been carried out. The data were collected from the center of breakdown kidney stones in Zakho hospital. A total of 34 patients (25 male and 9 female) of ages ranged from 20 - 60 years were treated with ESWL. The patient harboring 24 renal stones and 10 ureteral stones of size ranged from 7 to 23 mm of almost patients are 8 mm and composed of calcium oxalate. The study has been conducted taking in to consideration the parameters (type, sizes, composition and location of stone as well as region and ages of patients, also power, number of shock wave and session). The results show that the number of shock wave decreases nearly exponentially with the ages of patients for calcium oxalate stone of size 8 mm under constant power 4 watt while it tends to increase according to increasing stones size for the patients of ages 20 - 30 years. The size of calcium oxalate stones decreases nearly exponentially with the patients’ ages for workers in Zakho city. Also for same size 8 mm of (calcium, phosphate, and oxalate) stones and different regions of zakho city, the number of shock waves decreases according to increasing ages of patients. Contrary to that for certain size of stones 8 mm, the number of shock wave starts to increase from uric acid to maximum value for calcium oxalate stone for the adult patients of age’s 22 up to 30 years. However for elders ages 30 - 60 years and different regions, the size of renal and ureteric stones increases from the minimum value for calcium, phosphate, oxalate to maximum value for calcium oxalate stone only. Uric acid stone requires minimum power to break, while the calcium oxalate needs maximum power to fragment due to its hardness composition. Later number of session of shock wave required for crushing each stones size increases according to increasing its size while its variation due to enhancing patients ages for calcium oxalate of size 8 mm results in nearly a decreasing exponential behavior.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy vs laparoscopic ureterolithotomy for large upper ureteral stone: A review article

To investigate the best treatment option for large upper ureteral stone,percutaneous nephrolithotomy or laparoscopic ureterolithotomy.We searched three key word of upper ureteral stone,laparoscopic ureterolithotomy,percutaneous nephrolithotomy in PubM ed,Scopus and Ebsco.We found approximately twenty suitable articles about this subject since January 1980 until January2014.All articles studies and reviewed meticulously and brief review of these articles was written and some Ideas of experts was added.In many studies,it is suggested that success rate and complications of laparoscopic ureterolithotomy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy are the same,but percutaneous nephrolithotomy has less hospital stay time,duration of surgery and it is more cost effective.Overall it seems that percutaneous nephrolithotomy for treatment of upper ureteral stones is preferable rather than laparoscopic

Medical Expulsive Therapy (MET) for Large Distal Ureteral Stones: A Prospective Study Comparing Three Drugs

Introduction: One of the most common disorders of the urinary tract is Urolithiasis. Twenty percent of lithiasis are located in the ureter of which 68% are seen in the distal ureter. The concept of medical expulsive therapy (MET) has been developed with enough knowledge of the ureter physiology in order to make easier the spontaneous expulsion of the stone. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of three different drugs for the treatment of pelvic ureteral stones. Materiel and Methods: Between October 2017 and November 2018, 90 adult patients presenting with low or non-obstructive pelvic ureteral stones sized 8 to 10 mm were included. They were prospectively randomized, using computer-based randomization charts, into three equal groups: treatment with ketoprofen 100 mg once daily (Group I), silodosin 8 mg once daily (Group II) and tadalafil 5 mg once daily (Group III). The aim was to compare spontaneous expulsion of stone between those drugs Results: The mean expulsion time from the start of MET was 11.5 ± 3.27 days for ketoprofen group, 10.71 ± 3.98 days for silodosin group and 10.57 ± 3.40 days for tadalafil group. But these differences were also not significant (P = 0.79). The use of analgesics (grade II) was higher in groups II and III compared to group I, but without significant difference (23.33% in group I, 33.33% in group II and 40% in group III, p = 0.38). Discussion: The overall chance of spontaneous passage is low when the stone diameter is sized more than 7 mm. A wide range of spontaneous passage rates have been reported in the literature, varying from 71% to 98% for distal ureteral stones less than 5 mm and 25% - 53% for stone sized 5 to 10 mm with a mean expulsion time of more than 10 days. Conclusion: The three drugs have a low expulsion rate for 8, 9 and 10 mm pelvic ureteral stones with a higher adverse event rate for the NSAID group.

Retroperitoneal fibrosis: A rare cause of both ureteral and small bowel obstruction

Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is a rare condition of unclear etiology. It can cause ureteral obstruction. We present the unique case of a 54 years old female, who initially presented with spontaneous perforation of the cecum. Upon exploring the abdomen, the classical glistening white, unyielding retroperitoneal fibrosis was encountered. A right hemicolectomy was performed. Subsequently, the patient presented with bilateral ureteral obstruction, and later on with small bowel obstruction. Ureteral obstruction was treated with stents, and small bowel obstruction was treated with bypass. To our knowledge no case of idiopathic RPF presenting with features of both bilateral ureteral and small bowel obstruction has been reported in the literature.

Prospective observational study on the prognosis of ureteral lesions caused by impacted stones via dual-energy spectral computed tomography

Objective Ureteral lesions caused by impacted ureteral stones are likely to result in postoperative ureteral stricture.On this basis,the study aimed to investigate if dual-energy spectral computed tomography can predict ureteral hardening caused by impacted stones and to explore the relationship between different types of ureteral lesions and the risk of ureteral stricture.Methods This prospective study collected data of 93 patients with impacted stones from hospital automation system during January 2018 to October 2019.They underwent an abdominal scan on a dual-energy spectral computed tomography.During surgery,the operator used ureteroscopy to identify ureteral lesions,which were classified into four categories:edema,polyps,pallor,and hardening.Seven months later,90 patients were reviewed for the degree of hydronephrosis.Results Endoscopic observations revealed 38(41%)cases of ureteral edema,20(22%)cases of polyps,13(14%)cases of pallor,and 22(24%)cases of hardening.There were significant differences in hydronephrosis,the period of impaction,the calcium concentration of the ureter,and the slope of the spectral Hounsfield unit curve between the four groups.After that,we evaluated the factors associated with ureteral hardening and found that the calcium concentration of the ureter and hydronephrosis remained independent predictors of ureteral hardening.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that 5.3 mg/cm^(3)calcium concentration of the ureter is an optimal cut-off value to predict ureteral hardening.The result of follow-up showed that 80 patients had complete remission of hydronephrosis,with a complete remission rate of 61.9%(13/21)in the hardening group and 97.1%(67/69)in the non-hardening group(p<0.001).Conclusion Calcium concentration of the ureter is an independent predictor of ureteral hardening.Patients with ureteral hardening have more severe hydronephrosis after ureteroscopic lithotripsy.When the calcium concentration of the ureter is less than 5.3 mg/cm^(3),ureteral lesions should be actively treated.

Multi-aspect analysis of ureteral access sheath usage in retrograde intrarenal surgery: A RIRSearch group study

Objective:To evaluate the effect of ureteral access sheath(UAS)use and calibration change on stone-free rate and complications of retrograde intrarenal surgery(RIRS).Methods:Data from 568 patients undergoing RIRS for kidney or upper ureteral stones were retrospectively included.Firstly,patients were compared after 1:1 propensity score matching,according to UAS usage during RIRS(UAS used[+]87 and UAS non-used[−]87 patients).Then all UAS+patients(n=481)were subdivided according to UAS calibration:9.5-11.5 Fr,10-12 Fr,11-13 Fr,and 13-15 Fr.Primary outcomes of the study were the success and complications of RIRS.Results:Stone-free rate of UAS+patients(86.2%)was significantly higher than UAS−patients(70.1%)after propensity score matching(p=0.01).Stone-free rate increased with higher caliber UAS(9.5-11.5 Fr:66.7%;10-12 Fr:87.0%;11-13 Fr:90.6%;13-15 Fr:100%;p<0.001).Postoperative complications of UAS+patients(11.5%)were significantly lower than UAS−patients(27.6%)(p=0.01).Complications(8.7%)with 9.5-11.5 Fr UAS was lower than thicker UAS(17.2%)but was not statistically significant(p=0.09).UAS usage was an independent factor predicting stone-free status or peri-and post-operative complications(odds ratio[OR]3.654,95%confidence interval[CI]1.314-10.162;OR 4.443,95%CI 1.350-14.552;OR 4.107,95%CI 1.366-12.344,respectively).Conclusion:Use of UAS in RIRS may increase stone-free rates,which also increase with higher caliber UAS.UAS usage may reduce complications;however,complications seemingly increase with higher UAS calibration.

Ureteroscopic lithotripsy using holmium laser for 187 patients with proximal ureteral stones

Background Improving the success rate of ureteroscopic lithotripsy for proximal ureteral stones is the hot issue in this field. Here we reported our experience on the treatment of proximal ureteral stones.Methods From 2005 to 2010, 187 consecutive patients with proximal ureteral stones who underwent ureteroscopic lithotripsy were enrolled. The initial 52 patients treated by semi-rigid ureteroscope alone were classified as group 1. The subsequent 135 patients treated by semi-rigid ureteroscope with the aid of stone basket and flexible ureteroscope were classified as group 2.Results In group 1, the overall stone-free rate was 67.3%. By a single procedure of ureteroscopic lithotripsy using a semi-rigid instrument, patients with ureteral stones below the 4th lumbar vertebra level achieved 91.7% stone-free rate, which was only 50% in patients with stones above the 4th lumbar vertebra level. Conversion to open surgery occurred in two patients since ureteral perforation was observed. In group 2, the stone-free rate achieved 93.2% with the aid of an N-Trap basket, which was significantly higher than that of patients without the aid of the basket （51.6%）. Flexible ureteroscope was subsequently used in patients with fragment migration, thus making the overall success rate in group 2 increases to 97.0%.Conclusions Ureteroscopic lithotripsy is a safe and efficacious treatment for proximal ureteral stones. A single procedure of ureteroscopic lithotripsy using semi-rigid ureteroscope could achieve a satisfactory stone-free rate in patients with proximal ureteral stones below the 4th lumbar vertebra level. However, patients with ureteral stones above the 4th lumbar vertebra level experienced higher stone-migration rate, which would decrease the success rate. Fortunately, the stone-free state could possibly be achieved with the aid of an N-trap basket and flexible ureteroscope.

Comparison of tamsulosin with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in treating distal ureteral stones

Background Tamsulosin, an alpha-1 receptor antagonist, has been demonstrated effective in promoting distal ureteral stone passage and in reducing pain associated with stone expulsion. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of tamsulosin in comparison with nifedipine and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy （ESWL） on the expulsion rate of distal ureteral stones at different sizes. Methods We assigned 314 patients to three categories： Ⅰ, the stone with maximal diameter of 4.0-5.9 mm; Ⅱ, 6.0-7.9 mm, and Ⅲ, 8.0-9.9 mm. Patients in each category were randomly subdivided into three treatment subgroups： group A （nifedipine group）, group B （tamsulosin group）, and group C （ESWL group）. Stone-free rate and the dose of analgesics were recorded weekly during the 4-week follow-up period. Results Three hundred and three patients completed the study. The results showed that nifedipine and tamsulosin treatments promoted a small （4-8 mm, categories Ⅰ and Ⅱ） stone expulsive rate that was comparable with ESWL treatment. Nonetheless, when the stone diameter was 8.0-9.9 mm, ESWL showed a greater stone free rate than nifedipine and tamsulosin treatments; no significant difference existed between the latter two therapies. Although the ESWL treatment group required the least analgesics, tamsulosin treatments required less pain medication than nifedipine （P 〈0.05）. Conclusions Tamsulosin treatment is recommended for patients with the stone diameter smaller than 8 mm because of its feasibility, effectiveness and safety. ESWL is more appropriate than tamsulosin therapy for the patients whose stones are larger than 8 mm.

Ureteral Stenting Following Uncomplicated Ureteroscopy for Ureteric Stones: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: The objective is to assess the benefits and adverse effects of routine ureteral stenting after uncomplicated ureteroscopic lithotripsy. Material and Methods: Sixty patients with ureteric calculi amenable to ureteroscopic lithotripsy were randomized to an unstented (30 patients) or a stented (30 patients) treatment group, standard ureteroscopic lithotripsy done using 8 French semirigid ureteroscope, and pneumatic lithotripter used to fragment the stones. They were followed up for postoperative flank pain, lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and hematuria. Results: There was no significant difference in the mean age (stenting 37.8 year and 33.5 year unstenting) of patients, gender and stone size in both groups. No significant difference in the mean flank pain within 3 days postoperative, while at day 14 postoperative flank pain for stenting group was significant (P = 0.03). Dysuria and urgency were high for stenting group (P = 0.002 and 0.011). Hematuria within 3 and 14 days was higher in the stenting group. Conclusion: After uncomplicated ureteroscopy, stents can be safely omitted. Unstented patients have significantly fewer LUTS, haematuria and flank pain.