Do the applied shock wave numbers and the application side affect pancreatic exocrine functions in patients who have undergone extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for upper urinary tract calculi?

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the effect of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) on the pancreatic exocrine functions related to the number of high-energy shock waves and the ESWL-applied kidney side for upper urinary tract stones. Materials and methods: Included in the study were 76 patients undergoing ESWL for proximal ureteral or kidney stones. The right kidney group (RKG) consisted of 40 patients who underwent ESWL for right kidney stones and the left kidney group (LKG) consisted of 36 patients who underwent ESWL for left kidney stones. Results: The observed changes in plasma amylase and lipase levels were not statistically significant compared with the pre-ESWL values in both groups. The relationship between the number of applied shock waves (SWs) and the serum amylase and lipase after ESWL showed a statistically significant positive correlation in the RKG but not in the LKG. Conclusion: There were no statistically significant differences between the pre- and post-ESWL serum amylase and lipase levels. However, a statistically significant positive correlation was found between the number of SWs applied and the post-ESWL amylase and lipase levels in the RKG. Although clinical and experimental studies have shown the safety of ESWL, avoiding excess sessions and an unnecessarily high number of SWs may be helpful in the prevention of the potential risks of ESWL.