Comparison of ureteroscopic lithotripsy and minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotripsy in the treatment of impacted upper ureteral calculi

Abstract

Objective To analyze the clinical effects and safety of ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URL) and minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (MPCNL) in the treatment of impacted upper ureteral calculi by using EMS system. Methods Ninety-six patients with impacted upper ureteral calculi were enrolled in the study from January 2014 to December 2016 in our hospital, and were divided into URL group and MPCNL group, with 48 patients in each group. The clinical effects and safety of the two groups were compared. Results The operative time and the hospital stay in URL group were (54±8) min and (3.6±0.7)d, respectively, which were shorter than that in MPCNL group (59±9) min and (5.6±0.8) d, respectively (P 0.05). Conclusion MPCNL using EMS system is an efficacious and feasible approach for the treatment of impacted upper ureteral calculi due to the advantage of high calculi clearance rate, efficacy, and safety compared to URL. Key words: Percutaneous nephrolithotripsy; Ureteroscopy; Ureteral calculi