Efficacy of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy as a treatment for nephrolithiasis at the Endourology Service of Hospital Jose Carrasco Arteaga. Biennium 2015-2016.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: nephrolithiasis is the third most common urological pathology, followed by infections and prostatic pathologies. One of the treatment options is extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT); it is a minimally invasive technique, easy to repeat, effective, with low morbidity and low cost. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of ESWT as a treatment for nephrolithiasis and its association with some factors. METHODS: We carried out a descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study with retrospective data, with patients diagnosed of nephrolithiasis and treated with ESWT at the Endourology Service of Hospital José Carrasco Arteaga, during the years 2015 and 2016. The sample was constituted of 146 patients. Data was Results are shown with frequencies and percentages in charts, Chi square was applied to measure the association between variables. RESULTS: The location of the stones was mainly intrarenal and on the left side. The mean size of the stones was 12.66 mm and the mean density was 996.97IU. After ESWT, tomographic control reported complete destruction of the stone in 22.6% of the patients and in almost a third of the patients there were no changes. After ESWL, most of the patients received expulsive treatment. 97% of the patients had no complications. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of ESWL decreased with age, also it was less effective in women, but the association was not statistically significant. The location of the stone, and its size had statistically significant association with the effectiveness of the treatment; ureteral and small stones were completely destroyed more frequently than renal and big stones. The stone density had no association with LEOCH effectiveness.