Distal Ureteral Calculi Research Articles

Renal allograft dysfunction secondary to ureterolithiasis: Diagnosis and management

Urolithiasis is one of the most common conditions seen in urology practice. Renal transplantation is associated with a lower incidence of urolithiasis compared to general population. In these patients, the incidence of isolated ureteric calculi is 5–10 times lower than renal calculi. If renal and/or ureteric calculi are present in transplanted kidney, they must be attended urgently as the presentation in such patients is atypical due to lack of sympathetic innervation of the graft kidney and the condition may rapidly progress to graft dysfunction. The diagnosis of renal and upper ureteric calculi is usually made on graft ultrasonography. For mid and distal ureteric calculi, CT and MR urography are more sensitive. For nonobstructive calculi, treatment is with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) or flexible ureteroscopic removal for smaller stone burden (<1.5cm) while obstructive calculi and larger stones are best addressed with percutaneous nephrostomy followed by percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) or ESWL or endoscopic removal.

Ureteroscopy with conscious sedation for distal ureteric calculi: 10-year experience.

Distal ureteroscopy for stone extraction is a common procedure that is generally performed with spinal or general anesthesia. We retrospectively reviewed all distal ureteroscopy performed for ureteric stone extraction with conscious sedation at our institution over a 10-year period to determine its efficacy and safety. A retrospective chart review was performed of all distal ureteroscopy performed for calculus removal from 2004 to 2014. Patient characteristics, analgesic requirement, tolerability, procedure time, stone size and composition, method of stone extraction, success rate, and complications were collected. Between 2004 and 2014, 314 procedures were performed. Mean age was 53.74 years, with 160 males and 154 females. A success rate of 97% and 10 (3.2%) complications were reported. Mean analgesic requirement was 189 μg of fentanyl (range: 50-400) and 2.79 mg of midazolam (range: 0-8). A total of 263 patients (83.7%) tolerated the procedure well, with only seven (2.2%) having poor tolerability. When comparing females to males, females were found to require less fentanyl (p=0.0001) and midazolam (p=0.0001). When calculi >5 mm were compared to those <5 mm, there was no statistically significant difference in success rate, procedure time, analgesic requirement, tolerability, or complications. Distal ureteroscopy with conscious sedation is safe and efficacious. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating stones >5 mm can be safely and effectively treated with conscious sedation during this procedure. The context of our findings must be understood within the limitations of our retrospective analysis.

The efficacy of alpha-blockers for expulsion of distal ureteral stones

Background: Only very few studies describe the use of Alfuzosin, which is α adrenergic receptor blocker and not selective for any α 1 adrenergic receptor, for expulsion of distal ureteric stones. Alfuzosin is a drug with a proven efficacy and considered uroselective with high specificity and sensitivity, for the treatment of BPH. So, the present study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of alpha blockers for expulsion of distal ureteral calculus. The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of Alpha blockers for expulsion of distal ureteral calculus.Methods: All the patients who presented to the Department of Urology in the period between January 2008 to January 2010 with history suggestive of ureteric colic were evaluated for inclusion in the study. Informed consent was obtained from all the patients. Patients were segregated into 3 groups. The investigator knew the patients in each of the groups before the start of the intervention, but the Patients didn’t. All details regarding patient’s demographics, Investigations, Outcome and complications were entered into the proforma.Results: Calculus expulsion rate was highest in group C patients (receiving Alfusozin) and the difference was statistically significant. Patients with small calculus had low failure rate compared with patients having bigger calculus size. The analgesic requirement was more in the placebo groups with mean duration of more than 6 doses. The expulsion rate was more in alfusozin group than placebo. Also the intervention required was lower in alfusozin group.Conclusions: Alpha blockers (Tamsulosin, Alfuzosin) improve the spontaneous expulsion rate of distal ureteric calculus. There is no difference in distal ureteric calculus expulsion rate between tamsulosin, and alfuzosin. Alpha blockers reduce the analgesic requirements but not the calculus expulsion time.

The efficacy of unenhanced MDCT in the evaluation of nephroureterolithiasis

Background: Increasing availability of MDCT with higher number of detectors has made it an initial modality of choice with higher degree of sensitivity and specificity, over and above the other modalities. The objective was to study the efficacy of unenhanced MDCT in the evaluation of nephroureterolithiasis. Methods: This is a prospective study done over a period of one year. It includes all patients with loin pain, who are clinically suspected for urinary stone disease. The study is performed on Philips Brilliance 64 slice MDCT. Results: It was found that maximum patients belonged to the age group of 41-50 years followed by 31-40 years. Males were more than females. The male to female ratio was 1.8:1. Maximum patients presented with ureteric calculi i.e. 40% followed by renal calculi (18.8%). A total of 23 patients were found to have ureteric calculi. Out of them majority presented with distal ureteric calculi (34.8%) followed by calculi at proximal ureter. Maximum i.e. 66.6% developed hydronephrosis followed by hydroureter in 51.1% of patients. Conclusions: Unenhanced MDCT is an excellent modality with many advantages and high sensitivity for evaluation of nephroureterolithiasis.

Tamsulosin in the management of distal ureteric calculi

Introductions: Ureteral stones account for 20% urinary stone. Two third of ureteral stones are seen in lower third of ureter. Medical expulsive therapy is effective for such stones. This study was designed to observe the efficacy of ‘tamsulosin’ a selective alpha-1 adrenoreceptor antagonist in the management of lower ureteric stone.Methods: A cross sectional study of 70 cases of distal ureteral stones of sizes 5 to 10 mm was taken in the Department of Surgery of Shree Birendra Hospital, Nepalese Army Institute of Health Sciences (NAIHS) from January 2011 to 2013. Patients were randomly divided into tamsulosin and analgesic only groups. Stone expulsion at the end of three weeks was confirmed by X-ray or Ultrasonography.Results: Out of 70 patients, stone clearance rate in tamsulosin group was 28 in 35 cases (80%) and 21 in 35 cases (60%) in group II with analgesic only. The mean time of stone expulsion was 8.3 days in group I and 13.5 days in group II.Conclusions: In this study the use of tamsulosin in treatment of lower ureteral stones less than 10 mm was safe and effective.

Role of Alfuzosin in Spontaneous Passage of Distal Ureteric Calculi

Medical expulsion therapy has been shown to be a useful adjunct to observation in the management of ureteral stones. Alpha-1-adrenergic receptor antagonists have been studied in this role. Alpha-1 receptors are located in the human ureter, especially the distal ureter. Alpha-blockers have been demonstrated to increase expulsion rates of distal ureteral stones, decrease time to expulsion, and decrease need for analgesia during stone passage. Alpha-blockers promote stone passage in patients receiving shock wave lithotripsy, and may be able to relieve ureteral stent-related symptoms. In the appropriate clinical scenario, the use of α-blockers is recommended in the conservative management of distal ureteral stones.

Efficacy and safety of silodosin in the medical expulsion therapy for distal ureteral calculi: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Using a selective α-adrenoceptor blocker for medical expulsive therapy (MET) is an effective treatment approach widely used for ureteral stones. The aim of the review was to assess the efficacy and safety of silodosin in medical expulstion therapy compared with placebo and tamsulosin. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Cochrane Library and Embase to identify randomized controlled trials that compared silodosin with a placebo or tamsulosin for ureteral calculi. Eight publications involving a total of 1048 patients were used in the analysis, which compared silodosin with placebo and tamsulosin. We found that silodosin was effective in treating ureteral calculi in our meta-analysis and was superior to tamsulosin in its efficacy. The expulsion rate of all ureteral stones (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.08, 2.36, P = 0.02), the expulsion rate of distal ureteral stones (OR 2.82, 95% CI 1.70, 4.67, P < 0.0001) and the expulsion time (days) of distal ureteral stones (standard mean difference (SMD) -4.71, 95% CI -6.60, -2.83, P < 0.00001) indicated that silodosin was more effective than the placebo. Moreover, expulsion rate (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.70, 3.78, P < 0.00001), expulsion time (days) (SMD -2.64, 95% CI -3.64, -1.64, P < 0.00001) and pain episodes (P < 0.00001) indicated that silodosin was more effective than the tamsulosin. Even though silodosin had a significant increase in abnormal ejaculation compared with tamsulosin, no significant differences were observed for complications (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.58, 1.74, P = 1.00). This meta-analysis indicated that silodosin was superior to placebo or tamsulosin in the efficacy for distal ureteral calculi with better control of pain. The safety profile of silodosin was similar to tamsulosin though retrograde ejaculation was worse for silodosin use. We conclude that silodosin might have potential as a MET for ureteral stones.

Evaluating the Combination of Two Different Alpha-1 Blockers with One Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitor (PDE-5) as Medical Expulsive Therapy for Distal Ureteric Calculi

Journal of the American College of Surgeons: October 2015 - Volume 221 - Issue 4 - p S174-S175 doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2015.07.416

Supine versus Prone Position during Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy for Treating Distal Ureteral Calculi: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose: We aimed at evaluating the efficacy of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) for treating distal ureteral calculi performed in supine vs. prone position. Materials and Methods: Eligible studies were identified by 2 reviewers using PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Outcomes included stone-free rate after the first and the final SWL session, the mean number of shocks per SWL session, the mean percentage of power used in the first SWL session, and the mean number of SWL sessions per patient. Results: Pooled data among the 647 included patients showed that supine SWL was associated with a significantly higher stone-free rate than prone SWL. This difference was consistent for both the first SWL session (OR 4.17; 95% CI 2.53-6.87; p < 0.00001) and the final session (OR 3.02; 95% CI 1.96-4.67; p < 0.00001). No differences in the mean number of shocks per SWL session, the mean percentage of power used in the first SWL session, and the mean number of SWL sessions per patient were observed between the positions. SWL complications were infrequent and the incidence was insufficient for further analysis. Conclusion: SWL is safe and effective for the management of distal ureteral calculi, and supine SWL is more effective than prone SWL for achieving a stone-free status.

Distal Ureteric Stones and Tamsulosin: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized, Multicenter Trial

We assess the efficacy and safety of tamsulosin compared with placebo as medical expulsive therapy in patients with distal ureteric stones less than or equal to 10 mm in diameter. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial of adult participants with calculus on computed tomography (CT). Patients were allocated to 0.4 mg of tamsulosin or placebo daily for 28 days. The primary outcomes were stone expulsion on CT at 28 days and time to stone expulsion. There were 403 patients randomized, 81.4% were men, and the median age was 46 years. The median stone size was 4.0 mm in the tamsulosin group and 3.7 mm in the placebo group. Of 316 patients who received CT at 28 days, stone passage occurred in 140 of 161 (87.0%) in the tamsulosin group and 127 of 155 (81.9%) with placebo, a difference of 5.0% (95% confidence interval -3.0% to 13.0%). In a prespecified subgroup analysis of large stones (5 to 10 mm), 30 of 36 (83.3%) tamsulosin participants had stone passage compared with 25 of 41 (61.0%) with placebo, a difference of 22.4% (95% confidence interval 3.1% to 41.6%) and number needed to treat of 4.5. There was no difference in urologic interventions, time to self-reported stone passage, pain, or analgesia requirements. Adverse events were generally mild and did not differ between groups. We found no benefit overall of 0.4 mg of tamsulosin daily for patients with distal ureteric calculi less than or equal to 10 mm in terms of spontaneous passage, time to stone passage, pain, or analgesia requirements. In the subgroup with large stones (5 to 10 mm), tamsulosin did increase passage and should be considered.

Adult unilateral duplex system ureterocele with multiple calculi

Ureterocele is a congenital cystic dilatation of the distal portion of the ureter. A was admitted to our hospital with complaints of pollakuria, right flank pain and macroscopic hematuria. Direct urinary system X-ray suggested a right lower ureteral calculi and intravenous pyelography (IVP) revealed a right side complete duplex system of ureterocele, multiple distal ureteral calculi and characteristic appereance of cobra head or ''spring onion''. A transurethral transversal incision was made in the right ureterocele at the inferior lateral border and 176 spherical calculi of almost the same size were removed. In conclusion, endoscopic ureterocele incision and stone extraction is a safe and effective treatment of adult orthotopic ureteroceles and this technique has minimal risk for iatrogenic vesicoureteral reflux.

Outcome of ureteroscopy for the management of distal ureteric calculi: 5-years’ experience

ObjectiveTo review our 5 years’ experience with ureteroscopy treatment of distal ureteric calculi. Patients and methodsWe reviewed the medical records of 136 patients who underwent ureteroscopic procedures for the treatment of distal ureteric calculi from February 2007 to October 2012. Patient and stone characteristics, treatment modality and outcome were assessed. Procedure's duration, status “stone free” and hospital stay were also evaluated. The mean clinical and radiological follow-up period was 31.8 months for 74.2% of eligible patients. ResultsThe stone free rate following an initial ureteroscopy was 79.4. The ultimate success rate for stone removal after “second look” improved to 95.9%. The mean operative duration was 51minutes.The intraoperative complication rate was 8.6%, the postoperative complication rate was 7.5%, and the mean hospital stay was 1.1 days.We could detect one ureteric stricture and one vesico-ureteric reflux (0.9% for each). A significant ureteric perforation was detected in 4.1% and ureteric perforation in 0.7% of the study group.We could find that the longer the operative duration, the greater the complications.Stone impaction and size were also found associated with higher morbidity. ConclusionGrowing skills and experience of ureteroscopy will lead to a significant increase in the success rate and also reducing serious complications.

Comparison of treatment outcomes according to output voltage during shockwave lithotripsy for ureteral calculi: a prospective randomized multicenter study.

To investigate the effect of fixed versus escalating voltage during SWL on treatment outcomes in patients with ureteral calculi (UC). A prospective, randomized, multicenter trial was conducted on 120 patients who were diagnosed with a single radiopaque UC. The patients were randomized into group C (n = 60, constant 13 kV, 3,000 shock wave, 2 Hz) or group E (n = 60, 11.4-12.0-13 kV per 1,000 shock waves, 2 Hz). They were evaluated by plain abdominal radiography and urinalysis at 1 week after a single session of SWL, and repeat SWL was performed if needed. The primary endpoint was stone-free rate at 1 week (SFR1) after SWL. Secondary endpoints were post-SWL visual pain score (VPS), oral analgesic requirements during 1 week, and cumulative SFRs after the second and third sessions of SWL. Groups C and E were well balanced in terms of baseline patients and stone characteristics, including pre-SWL VPS, stone location, and stone size (6.24 ± 1.92 vs. 6.30 ± 2.13 mm). SFR1s were not significantly different between groups C and E (60.0 vs. 68.3%, p = 0.447). Analyses stratified by stone size (<6 vs. ≥6 mm) showed no difference in SFR1 (p = 0.148 vs. 0.808). In the analyses stratified by stone location, group E tended to be more effective in distal UC (81.0 vs. 50.0%, p = 0.052), whereas no difference was seen in proximal UC (p = 0.487). Secondary endpoints were also similar between the two groups. Our results suggest that voltage escalation during SWL in UC may not provide superior stone fragmentation compared to fixed voltage.

Efficacy and safety of Ho:YAG laser lithotripsy for ureteroscopic removal of proximal and distal ureteral calculi.

BackgroundLaser lithotripsy is an established endourological modality. Ho:YAG laser have broadened the indications for ureteroscopic stone managements to include larger stone sizes throughout the whole upper urinary tract. Aim of current work is to assess efficacy and safety of Ho:YAG laser lithotripsy during retrograde ureteroscopic management of ureteral calculi in different locations.Methods88 patients were treated with ureteroscopic Ho:YAG laser lithotripsy in our institute. Study endpoint was the number of treatments until the patient was stone-free. Patients were classified according to the location of their stones as Group I (distal ureteric stones, 51 patients) and group II (proximal ureteral stones, 37). Group I patients have larger stones as Group II (10.70 mm vs. 8.24 mm, respectively, P = 0.020).ResultsOverall stone free rate for both groups was 95.8%. The mean number of procedures for proximal calculi was 1.1 ± 0.1 (1–3) and for distal calculi was 1.0 ± 0.0. The initial treatment was more successful in patients with distal ureteral calculi (100% vs. 82.40%, respectively, P = 0.008). No significant difference in the stone free rate was noticed after the second laser procedure for stones smaller versus larger than 10 mm (100% versus 94.1%, P = 0.13). Overall complication rate was 7.9% (Clavien II und IIIb). Overall and grade-adjusted complication rates were not dependant on the stone location. No laser induced complications were noticed.ConclusionsThe use of the Ho:YAG laser appears to be an adequate tool to disintegrate ureteral calculi independent of primary location. Combination of the semirigid and flexible ureteroscopes as well as the appropriate endourologic tools could likely improve the stone clearance rates for proximal calculi regardless of stone-size.

Tamsulosin and Spontaneous Passage of Ureteral Stones in Children: A Multi-Institutional Cohort Study

Tamsulosin is associated with increased passage of ureteral stones in adults but its effectiveness in children is uncertain. We determined the association between tamsulosin and the spontaneous passage of ureteral stones in children. We performed a multi-institutional retrospective cohort study of patients 18 years or younger who presented between 2007 and 2012 with ureteral stones up to 10 mm and who were treated with tamsulosin or oral analgesics alone. The outcome was spontaneous stone passage, defined as radiographic clearance and/or patient report of passage. Subjects prescribed tamsulosin were matched with subjects prescribed analgesics alone, using nearest neighbor propensity score matching to adjust for treatment selection. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between tamsulosin and spontaneous passage of ureteral stones, adjusting for stone size and location. Of 449 children with ureteral stones 334 were eligible for inclusion, and complete data were available for 274 patients from 4 institutions (99 receiving tamsulosin, 175 receiving analgesics alone). Following case matching, there were no differences in age, gender, weight, height, stone size or stone location between the 99 subjects prescribed tamsulosin and the 99 propensity score matched subjects prescribed analgesics alone. In the tamsulosin cohort 55% of ureteral stones passed, compared to 44% in the analgesics alone cohort (p=0.03). In multivariate analysis adjusting for stone size and location tamsulosin was associated with spontaneous passage of ureteral stones (OR 3.31, 95% CI 1.49-7.34). The odds of spontaneous passage of ureteral stones were greater in children prescribed tamsulosin vs analgesics alone.

Ureteral stenting after uncomplicated ureteroscopy for distal ureteral stones: a randomized, controlled trial.

Objectives. We compared outcome and complications after uncomplicated ureteroscopic treatment of distal ureteral calculi with or without the use of ureteral stents. Materials and Methods. 117 patients, prospectively divided into three groups to receive a double j stent (group 1, 42 patients), ureteral stent (group 2, 37 patients), or no stent (group 3, 38 patients), underwent ureteroscopic treatment of distal ureteral calculi. Stone characteristics, operative time, postoperative pain, lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), analgesia need, rehospitalization, stone-free rate, and late postoperative complications were all studied. Results. There were no significant differences in preoperative data. There was no significant difference between the three groups regarding hematuria, fever, flank pain, urinary tract infection, and rehospitalisation. At 48 hours and 1 week, frequency/urgency and dysuria were significantly less in the nonstented group. When comparing group 1 and group 3, patients with double j stents had statistically significantly more bladder pain (P = 0.003), frequency/urgency (P = 0.002), dysuria (P = 0.001), and need of analgesics (P = 0.001). All patients who underwent imaging postoperatively were without evidence of obstruction or ureteral stricture. Conclusions. Uncomplicated ureteroscopy for distal ureteral calculi without intraoperative ureteral dilation can safely be performed without placement of a ureteral stent.

Efficacy of nifedipine and alfuzosin in the management of distal ureteric stones: A randomized, controlled study.

Introduction:Stone disease is a significant and world-wide health problem. Recently, certain drugs have been used as a supplement to observation alone in an effort to improve spontaneous stone expulsion. We evaluated the efficacy of nifedipine and alfuzosin in the medical treatment of symptomatic, uncomplicated distal ureteral stones.Materials and Methods:This was a randomized controlled prospective study to determine the efficacy of alfuzosin and nifedipine as an adjunctive medical therapy, to increases the stone-expulsion rates in distal ureteric calculus of size ≤10 mm. Investigators and patients were blinded to the randomization scheme. Patients were randomly divided into three equal groups of 35 patients each. Patients in Group I received tablet nifedipine 30 mg/day, Group II received alfuzosin 10 mg/day and Group III was the control group received tablet diclofenac sodium. The patient blood pressure, stone position on imaging, number of pain attacks, time of stone-expulsion, hospital re-admission and any adverse events were assessed. Patients were followed-up weekly and continued until the patient was rendered stone free or up to 28 days. Statistical analysis was performed and P < 0.05 was considered to be significant.Results:Stone-expulsion was observed in 60%, 85.7% and 20% patients in Group I, II and III respectively. A statistically significant difference was noted in between Groups I versus III, Groups II versus III and Groups I versus II (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, and P < 0.0315 respectively). The mean number of pain attacks was 2.91 ± 1.01 for Group I, 1.8 ± 0.83 for Group II, and 2.82 ± 1.12 for Group III, which is statistical significant in Groups II versus III, and Groups I versus II (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001). Hospital re-admission rate was less in treatment groups when compare to control group (P < 0.0001).Conclusion:The use of alfuzosin and nifedipine as a medical expulsive therapy for distal ureteric stones proved to be safe and effective in term of increased stone-expulsion rate, reduced pain attacks and decrease hospital re-admissions.

Effect of tamsulosin on stone expulsion in proximal ureteral calculi: an open-label randomized controlled trial

Medical expulsive therapy (MET) using alpha-blockers is effective for distal ureteral calculi (UC). We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of tamsulosin for proximal UC expulsion. An open-label randomized controlled trial was conducted with 108 patients who agreed to conservative management for single, radiopaque, proximal UC ≤ 6 mm and were randomized into group A (n = 54, conservative managements only) or B (n = 54, 0.2 mg tamsulosin once a day). The primary end-point was stone passage rates (SPR) in the intention-to-treat population in 4 treatment weeks. The secondary end-points were estimated in per-protocol population and were time to stone passage, post-trial Euro-quality-of-life (EuroQOL) score, oral analgesic requirements, and willingness to undergo conservative treatment again. The two groups were well balanced in terms of baseline patient and stone characteristics. Seventy nine patients (73.2%; 35 of group A and 44 of group B) completed the study protocol. The overall SPR was 60.2% (65/108). Group B had a higher SPR (74.1%; 40/54) than group A (46.3%; 25/54; p = 0.003) and a significantly shorter time to stone passage (mean days, A: 19.6 vs. B: 14.3, p = 0.005). The groups did not differ in post-trial EuroQOL score or oral analgesic requirements, whereas 74.3% (26/35) of group A and 90.9% (40/44) of group B were willing to undergo conservative treatment again (p = 0.048). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that stone size (OR = 1.447, p = 0.045) and tamsulosin treatment (OR = 3.314, p = 0.004) significantly predicted stone expulsion. On multivariate analysis, only tamsulosin was statistically significant (OR=3.198, p = 0.021). Tamsulosin was associated with significantly higher stone expulsion rate and shorter expulsion time in proximal UC ≤ 6 mm compared with conservative managements only. Our results indicate that similar to patients with distal UC, MET using tamsulosin is a reasonable treatment option for patients with proximal UC.

1985 PREOPERATIVE TAMSULOSIN FACILITATES URETEROSCOPIC MANAGEMENT OF LOWER URETERIC CALCULI: A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED STUDY

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Tamsulosin is proved to promote spontaneous passage of distal ureteral and juxtavesical calculi. Our aim is to prospectively evaluate the role of neoadjuvant tamsulosin during ureteroscopic treatment of lower ureteric stone. METHODS: One hundred thirty-eight adult patients with lower ureteral calculi underwent ureteroscopic management. Stone length varied from 7 to 12 mm. Before treatment, the patients were randomly divided into 2 groups; the study group (n 70) received tamsulosin 0.4 mg once daily for 3-6 weeks and the control group (n 68) received standard analgesia only. Preoperative medications were blinded to the endourologists. The primary endpoint was the need for intraoperative ureteral dilatation. Postoperative complications were recorded for both groups. RESULTS: Of the 120 patients available for follow up, the need for intraoperative ureteral dilatation was 30% in the study group, compared with 86.7% in the control group (p 0.001). Of the control group, 5% had postoperative pyelonephritis episodes, in contrast to only 1.7% of the study group (p 0.619). CONCLUSIONS: Preopertive tamsulosin simplifies ureteroscopic management of lower ureteric calculi. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to show the value of neoadjuvant tamsulosin in ureteroscopic management of distal ureteric calculi.

A novel technique for treatment of distal ureteral calculi: early results.

A novel technique for treatment of distal ureteral calculi: early results.