Is Bilateral Ureterorenoscopy the First Choice for the Treatment of Bilateral Ureteral Stones? An Updated Study

Abstract

Introduction: We analyze our recent results and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of bilateral single-session ureterorenoscopy (URS) for bilateral ureteral stones. Patients and Methods: 55 patients underwent URS with pneumatic lithotripsy (PL) for bilateral stones. 61 (55.5%), 28 (25.4%) and 21 (19.1%) stones were located in the lower, middle and upper ureter, respectively. Results: Of the 110 stones, 99 (90.0%) were fragmented in a single procedure. The stone clearance rate was 94.5% after the second session. The stone clearance rates with regard to stone location were 71.4, 89.3 and 96.7% for the upper, middle and lower ureter, respectively. An analysis of the clearance rates based on location demonstrated that lower ureteric stones were more successfully removed than upper ureteric stones (96.7 vs.71.4%, p = 0.003). Conclusion: Bilateral single-session URS with PL is a highly effective treatment modality for bilateral ureteral stones. The success rate of PL is affected by stone size and location.