Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy Sessions Research Articles

Factors Affecting the Outcome of Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy in Urinary Stone Treatment

Background and aim: The recurrence of urinary stones occurs in two thirds of patients within a 20-year period, making urinary stones a common pathology. Among urology pathologies, kidney stones rank third behind urinary infections and conditions of the prostate. The present study intended to assess various factors affecting the extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) outcome in urinary stone treatment. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 136 urinary stone patients who underwent extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy in the Department of Urology, Sahiwal Teaching Hospital, Sahiwal for the duration from September 2021 to August 2022. Computed tomography confirmed the presence of stones and measured the size (3-20 mm), distance from skin to stone, location, and density in Hounsfield units. Patient’s characteristics such as estimated rate of glomerular filtration and BMI were measured. A successful ESWL requires at least a 3mm residual renal stone fragment in post-therapy, and at least a complete clearance of ureteric stones at the end of treatment. SPSS version 26 was used for descriptive statistic. Results: Of the total 136 urinary stone patients, there were 108 (79.4%) male and 28 (20.6%) females. The incidence of stones present in proximal ureter, mid, and distal ureter was 72 (52.9%), 7 (5.1%), and 57 (41.9%) respectively. All the patients underwent ESWL 1.5 times (average), and the success rate in first, second, and third session was 67.8% (n=92), 83.8% (n=114), and 91.2% (n=124) respectively. The overall success rate of ESWL was 80.9%. A multivariate analysis revealed that HU [OR=0.89, 95% CI, 0.96-0.98, P=0.001) and stone size [OR=0.79, 95% CI, 0.62-0.98, P=0.051] were significantly affecting the first ESWL session success rate. Third session success rate was significantly affected by stone size [OR=0.76, 95% CI, 0.58-0.95, P=0.015]. Stent associated higher failure rate [OR=6.425, 95% CI, 2.132-18.235, p=0.001] and ESWL failure was three-times higher in females than in male. Conclusion: The present study found that the overall success rate of ESWL in urinary stone treatment was 80.9%. ESWL success rates were affected by stone size and HU. Patients' pain and fragmentation levels should be considered when adjusting the intensity of ESWL. Keywords: Urinary stone treatment, Outcomes, Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy

Per-oral pancreatoscopy-guided lithotripsy vs. extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for treating refractory main pancreatic duct stones in chronic pancreatitis: Protocol for an open-label multi-center randomized clinical trial

Backgrounds/ObjectivesPatients with chronic pancreatitis may develop pancreatic duct stones that can obstruct outflow leading to ductal hypertension and pain. Both endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP) with per-oral pancreatoscopy (POP) and intraductal lithotripsy and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) are feasible options to attempt ductal stone clearance. This study aims to compare POP-guided lithotripsy with ESWL in the management of refractory symptomatic main pancreatic duct stones. MethodsThis is an open-label, multi-center, parallel, randomized clinical trial. Patients with chronic pancreatitis and main pancreatic duct stones ≥5 mm who fail standard ERP methods for stone removal will be eligible for this study. In total, 150 subjects will be randomized 1:1 to either ESWL or POP. A maximum of 4 sessions of either ESWL or POP will be allowed in each arm, with crossover permitted thereafter. The primary outcome is complete stone clearance and secondary outcomes include quality of life, pain scores, number of interventions, and daily opiate requirements. ConclusionsThis study aims to answer the question of which lithotripsy method is superior in removing refractory pancreatic duct stones while addressing the effects of lithotripsy on quality of life and pain in patients with chronic calcific pancreatitis (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04115826).

Assessment of Sympathetic Activity of Adrenal Medullae in Patients with Kidney Stone Treated by Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL)

Background: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is the most widely used method for treating kidney and upper ureteric stones smaller than 2 cm due to its effectiveness, safety, non-invasive, and an outpatient procedure. Objective: The present study aims to assess the effect of ESWL on the sympathetic activity of adrenal medullae in patients with renal stone. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the ESWL Unit, AL-Hilla Teaching Hospital, Babil Province, Iraq on 50 patients from October 1, 2021 to April 30, 2022. Before and right after an ESWL session, patients underwent a history, physical examination and laboratory tests to measure their levels of serum catecholamines (CAs). Results: The results of this study revealed that there is a significant increase of serum epinephrine and norepinephrine levels (P-value <0.001) after ESWL session. There is a significant (P <0.1) increase in epinephrine and norepinephrine levels in patients treated for upper pole renal stones when compared with mid and lower pole renal stones after having an ESWL session. Changing the lithotripter’s parameters (energy, frequency, and number of shock waves) did not significantly (P > 0.05) correlate with the level of both norepinephrine and epinephrine in the serum after the ESWL session. Conclusion: The study found that patients with renal stones treated with ESWL had elevated serum CA levels after the session. The CA level correlates with the site of stone (the stone comes near to the adrenal medullae as there was an increase in the CA level), whereas it was unaffected by the lithotripter’s parameters.

Reduction of pre-procedural anxiety for repeat sessions in extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) reduces pain intensity: A prospective observational study.

Pain control is a major determinant for successful stone clearance in extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) for urolithiasis. Pain perception during ESWL may be influenced by patient factors like gender, age, body habitus and anxiety level, and stone related factors like size, laterality and location of stone. We investigated in general, the confounding patient and stone factors influencing pain perception during ESWL with importance given to procedural anxiety in first and the subsequent session of ESWL. This was a prospective observational study of all new consecutive patients who underwent ESWL for a period of 1 year at a tertiary Urological Centre. Demographic and stone anthropometry were analyzed. Pre-procedural anxiety was assessed prior to procedure using hospital anxiety and depression score (HADS) and pain was scored using numerical rating scale-11 at baseline, 30-minutes (i.e., during) and 24 hours after ESWL. Univariate and multivariate analysis for confounding factors included HADs were performed for pain perception. A P value < .05 was considered to be statistically significant. For the study duration, 119 patients were recruited and 72 of them returned for a second session. Procedural anxiety was the only independent factor affecting pain score in ESWL for the first session in multivariate analysis. A statistically significant reduction of mean procedural anxiety score from 6.7 ± 4.5 to 3.2 ± 2.7 (P < .05) for the second ESWL session was observed (n = 72). This was in conjunction with statistical reduction of mean pain score 30 minutes after ESWL from 5.2 ± 2.1 to 4.2 ± 2.1 (P < .05). Patients with HADS ≥ 8 had statistically significant higher mean pain score at all 3 intervals in the first ESWL session. This study has shown that pre-procedural anxiety mainly anticipatory, reduces and shows reduction in pain intensity among patients undergoing repeat ESWL. Hence, anxiety reducing methods should be explored in patients undergoing ESWL to avoid unnecessary analgesic use.

The Efficiency of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) in the Treatment of Distal Ureteral Stones: An Unjustly Forgotten Option?

IntroductionThe optimal management of distal ureteral stones remains a matter of debate since current guidelines favor ureteroscopy over extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). We aimed to evaluate the efficiency of ESWL for distal ureteral stones and to identify factors that affect treatment outcomes.Materials and methodsThe retrospective study included records of 115 patients with distal ureteral stones, 5 mm to 18 mm in size, undergoing 223 ESWL sessions as an outpatient procedure. Early fragmentation and three-month follow-up stone-free rate (SFR) was assessed through radiographic imaging. Treatment was successful if there were no residual fragments or they were ≤4 mm, three months after the last session.ResultsThe mean ±standard deviation (range) stone size was 9.68 ±3.10 (5.00-18.0) mm. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 24.3 ±2.67 (18.4-29.8) kg/m² with a significant correlation between BMI and stone size (r2 =0.324, p <0.001). Patients underwent ESWL an average of 1.7 ±1.36 times (1-5), while 68 patients (59.1%) became stone-free after one session. The overall SFR was 82.6%; for patients with stone sizes ≤10 mm and >10 mm, it was 99% and 9.4%, respectively. Cumulative SFR after the second session was 77%. In 20 (17%) patients the treatment was a failure. Complications occurred in 10.4%, while auxiliary procedures were needed in 8.7% of cases, both significantly affected by the stone size (p <0.001). The efficiency quotient (EQ) was 0.76. Treatment outcome was significantly different depending on stone size, BMI, number of sessions, complications, and auxiliary procedures (p <0.001, p =0.022, p <0.001, p <0.001, p <0.001, respectively). Univariate regression analysis identified stone size and BMI as significant predictors of treatment outcome (odds ratio (OR) 3.84, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.31-8.97, p =0.001, and OR 1.25, 95% CI: 1.04-1.54, p =0.024, respectively).ConclusionsExtracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy continues to be a safe and effective option for managing simple calculi in distal ureters with a diameter of ≤10 mm. The stone size and BMI remain significant predictors of treatment outcome.

Are there any changes in serum renal parameters in patients undergoing ESWL therapy?

Purpose: The goal of this research was to explain the effects of ESWL on renal function (Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy). Materials and Methods: This study was carried out retrospectively between November 2019 and October 2020, with 50 adult patients scheduled to perform an ESWL treatment because of a diagnosis of kidney stone and to completed the study protocol. In all of these patients, there was no urogenital abnormality, and none had a solitary kidney. Patients' mean age was 37.2 (between 26 and 67 years of age). Of patients, 31 (62%) were male and 19 (38%) were female. Three ESWL sessions were carried out in the patients and the time between sessions was set at 7 days. The routines collected one day before the ESWL (Routine I) protocol were repeated one day after the first session (Routine II) and one day after the end of all ESWL (Routine III) sessions. Results: There wasn’t any statistically significant difference among routines in terms of the ratio of serum electrolytes, serum creatinine, GFR and spot urine/protein. Conclusion: The findings indicate that the renal function tests do not need to assess whether ESWL leads to a tubular functional dysfunction in patients when treating upper urinary system stone disease. Keywords: Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL), renal stone, renal function and glomerular filtration rate (GFR)

The usefulness of the Hounsfield unit and stone heterogeneity variation in predicting the shockwave lithotripsy outcome.

PURPOSE This study aimed to evaluate the use of stone density variation coefficient (SDVC) as an indicator of stone heterogeneity and previously reported parameters for predicting extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) outcome in urinary calculi. Moreover, a new formula that could be used to predict ESWL success was suggested. METHODS A total of 850 patients, who underwent the first session of ESWL for urinary stones between 2015 and 2020, were examined, and 220 eligible patients were included in the study. Stone density variation coefficient and other parameters associated with stone attenuation values and stone size parameters were studied as potential predictors based on noncontrast com- puted tomography (NCCT). Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy success was considered after 3 months by radiography or NCCT. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors contributing to treatment success. RESULTS For the 220 patients, ESWL success rate was 39.5%. The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that SDVC (AUC=0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.76-0.87; P < .001), mean stone density (AUC=0.81; 95% CI:0.75-0.87; P < .001), maximum stone density (AUC=0.70; 95% CI: 0.63-0.78; P < .001), stone volume (AUC=0.70; 95% CI: 0.62-0.77; P < .001), and major diam- eter (AUC=0.67; 95% CI: 0.59-0.74; P < .001) had significant prediction accuracy from high to low. Additionally, SDVC was found to be successful in predicting ESWL success, especially for patients with high mean stone density (OR = 10; 95% CI: 3.55-28.57; P < .001). The logistic regres- sion model, in which the "stone disintegration probability" (SDP) formula was found, correctly predicted ESWL success with a single session by 79.1%. CONCLUSION In conclusion, size and attenuation values were predictors of treatment success, and the best predictor was SDVC. Evaluation of SDP formula prior to ESWL could predict treatment outcomes and facilitate the decisions regarding treatment strategies.

Stenting versus non-stenting before extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for proximal ureteric stones: A prospective interventional study

Background: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) has become the first-line treatment for stones in the upper urinary tract measuring &lt;2cm. It is the minor invasive treatment for calculi of the upper urinary tract. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to identify the effect of the presence and absence of a ureteric stent on the outcome of ESWL in patients with proximal ureteric stones. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective cohort study done on 300 patients and wasdivided into two equal groups of 150 each. Group A patients were selected for ESWL with DJ stent, and Group B patients werefor ESWL without DJ stent. Non-contrast CT KUB was done as a functional study along with plainX-ray KUB and ultrasound before the intervention. All treatments were done with Direx Compact XL (electromagnetic generator) device as an outpatient procedure. Patients were followed up radiographically at 15 days, 1 month, 2 months, and in 3 months. Hematuria, steinstrasse, fever, ureteric colic, lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), stone clearance, number of ESWL sessions, and secondary procedures were recorded for each group. DJ stent was taken out when the stone disappeared or at the end of 3 months. Variables were compared with Chi-square test. Results: The overall stone-free rate at 3 months was 90.6% (272/300). Clearance after the first sitting, second sitting, and the third sitting wasnot significant between the two groups(P&gt;0.05).There was no significant difference between the two groups in regard to clearance according to the size of the stones. A total of 9.3%(28/300) of patients did not have a successful outcome and were termed as ESWL failures. Post- ESWL complications were significant between the both groups in terms of hematuria and ureteric colic. All the ureteric colic patients had a stone size larger than 13 mm, P=0.0005, which was more in the non-stented (Group B) patients. Most of the lower urinary tract symptoms were seen in stented (Group A) patients, P&lt;0.0001 significant between the two groups, and dysuria was also significant between the two groups with P=0.0033. Conclusion: Pre-ESWL ureteral stenting provides no additional benefit over no stent in situ, although ureteral stents are associated with more irritative symptoms.

Safety of Minimally Invasive Percutaneous Nephrolithotmy in High Risk Patients in Lateral Position - A Single Center Study

Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy with fluoroscopy aided renal access in the lateral position, in patients who were high-risk cases for anesthesia in prone position.&#x0D; Study Design: Prospective observational study.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Armed forces institute of Urology, Rawalpindi, from Jan 2018 to Dec 2019.&#x0D; Methodology: Fifty-three patients with renal stones &gt;1.8cm underwent minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy with fluoroscopy-guided renal access in the lateral position. All the patients were obese, some had severe ischemic heart disease, few had diabetes mellitus. All the patients were unfit for the prone position.&#x0D; Results: Successful renal access was achieved in all the patients (100%). The mean size of stone was 28 + 13.2 mm, with an average operative time being 55 ± 13.56 minutes and the mean hospital stay was 1.8 ± 2.3 days (range 2-4 days). No visceral or pleural injuries were documented. In addition, only two patients required postoperative transfusion. After procedure, the rate of complete stone clearance initially was 90.6%, which improved to 96% after single session of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL). Only 2 (3.77%) patients had persistent residual stone fragment.&#x0D; Conclusion: Minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy with fluoroscopy-guided renal access in the lateral decubitus flank position, is safe and convenient in high-risk patients where prone position is contraindicated.

Efficacy of Adjuvant Tamsulosin for Improving the Stone-Free Rate after Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy in Renal Stones: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is an effective treatment for urolithiasis. Tamsulosin is capable of causing dilation and facilitating the migration of stones. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of adjuvant treatment with tamsulosin for improving the stone-free rate after a single session of ESWL in the treatment of kidney stones. Methods This is a randomized, nonplacebo-controlled study with a sample of 60 adults with a single radiopaque kidney stone of 5–20 mm in diameter. After the ESWL session, the patients were divided into two groups. The control group received standard treatment for analgesia consisting of oral diclofenac (75 mg/12 h) as needed. The tamsulosin group received standard treatment for analgesia plus oral tamsulosin (0.4 mg/day) for eight weeks. In both groups, stone-free status was determined using a CT scan eight weeks after ESWL. The protocol of this study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT04819828. Results Only 57 patients completed the study (28 tamsulosin and 29 control). Overall, the average stone diameter was 11.42 ± 4.52 mm. The stone-free rate was 50.88% (29 of 57) overall, 53.57% (15 of 28) for the tamsulosin group, and 48.27% (14 of 29) for the control group (p = 0.680). The estimated relative risk in favor of the tamsulosin group to achieve a stone-free status was 1.11 (95% CI 0.67–1.9). The estimated number needed to treat to achieve a single patient with renal stone-free status after eight weeks of ESWL adjuvant treatment with tamsulosin was 19. Conclusion Our findings suggest that tamsulosin as adjuvant treatment after a single ESWL session is well tolerated and safe, but it does not increase the stone-free rate in patients with a single radiopaque renal stone of 5–20 mm in diameter. Our results may support the use of tamsulosin with ESWL in the case of patients with a single radiopaque renal stone of 11–20 mm in diameter based on an apparent higher stone-free rate and a low rate of complications.

Predicting ESWL success by determination of Hounsfield unit on non-contrast CT is clinically irrelevant in children.

The necessity of determining stone density by non-contrast computerized tomography (NCCT) before extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a controversial topic due to the radiation exposure. We aimed to investigate whether stone density is helpful in predicting the success of ESWL in pediatric patients or not. In this retrospective study, database of a single center was used to identify 232 children aged between 2 and 16years. Patients with abnormal renal anatomy, distal obstruction, a known cystine stone disease, a previous history of an intervention regarding stone, and an insufficient follow-up period (< 3months) were excluded from the study. A total of 209 patients were included in the study (94 with NCCT, 115 without NCCT). Groups were compared in terms of stone size, stone location, and stone-free rate at 3months after a single ESWL session. The mean age was 6.17 ± 3.27years and 120 (57.4%) of the patients were male and 89 (42.6%) were female. Mean stone size was 11.7mm in NCCT group and 12.3mm in non-NCCT group (p 0.128). The complete stone clearance rate in NCCT and non-NCCT group at 3months after ESWL was 57.4% (54/94) and 54.7% (63/115), respectively, and there was no statistically significant difference (p 0.316). In conclusion, unnecessary NCCT use should be avoided before ESWL considering the similar success rates after ESWL and the risk of exposure to radiation.

Value of Music and Nitrous Oxide for Pain Control during Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL).

To compare the efficacy of 4 different analgesic regimens that include music and nitrous oxide during the treatment of renal lithiasis with ambulatory extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). A single-centre, longitudinal, prospective, randomized, open and parallel group study was conducted. Patients with renal lithiasis were included and were randomized to Group A (basal analgesia: midazolam (1 mg), fentanyl (0.05 mg) and dexketoprofen (50 mg)), Group B (basal analgesia and nitrous oxide), Group C (basal analgesia and music) and Group D (basal analgesia, nitrous oxide and music). For the measurement of pain, a visual analogue scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 100 (maximum pain imaginable) was used. Patient satisfaction was assessed using a Likert questionnaire. The epidemiological data of the patients in terms of lithiasis, previous clinical and ESWL sessions, and pain measured with the VAS before, during (maximum) at the end of the session and at discharge were recorded. Data on complications were also collected, as was the patients' subjective evaluation of the treatment and their satisfaction. The ESWL procedure was performed with a Storz Modulith SLX-F2® lithotripter. A maximum of 4000 waves were applied at a frequency of 1.5 Hz. Eighty patients were included (20 per group). None of the analgesia guidelines proved to be superior to the others for pain control during the ESWL session. Patients younger than 50 years had significantly higher values for the maximum VAS. Only 13.75% of patients required rescue analgesia. A total of 77.5% described their experience as good, very good or excellent, regardless of the assigned group. The addition of nitrous oxide and/or music did not result in a statistically significant improvement over the basal analgesia regimen of midazolam, fentanyl and dexketoprofen; however, the degree of patient satisfaction was very high.

Прогностичні фактори ефективності екстракорпоральної ударно-хвильової літотрипсії у пацієнтів з уретеролітіазом

The purpose of the work was to study prognostic factors for the effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in patients with ureterolithiasis. Materials and methods. The study included 53 patients with ureteral stones up to 2 cm in size. All patients underwent extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy under ultrasound control, with a pulse rate of 90 per minute and a maximum number of pulses of 2000 per session. The outcome of treatment was evaluated by ultrasound on day 5 after the extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy session. If there were stone fragments larger than 5 mm, a second extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy session was performed. Treatment was considered effective in the absence of stone fragments in the urinary tract 4 weeks after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. Results and discussion. The data were analyzed to identify clinical and radiological factors associated with treatment failure. As a result of the treatment, 46 (86.4%) patients were found to have no stones in the urinary tract (the condition is “stone free”), 9 (13.6%) had stone fragments larger than 5 mm 4 weeks after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, and therefore contact ureterolithotripsy was performed. As complications, 7 (13.2%) patients had an exacerbation of chronic pyelonephritis, which required percutaneous nephrostomy. As the results showed, age, gender, body mass index, and Hausfield units did not differ significantly in terms of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy results. Factors that significantly affected the prognosis of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy success were the size of the stone and skin-stone distance. Body mass index did not significantly affect the outcome of lithotripsy in this study. The stone density index according to computed tomography data is considered by many authors to be a predictor of the effectiveness of fragmentation, but in our study this indicator was not a significant predictor of the effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, which allows us to think that there are other factors, namely the features of the internal structure of the stone, which determine its compliance with the shock wave. Conclusion. The size of the stone and the skin-stone distance are prognostic factors that affect the effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in patients with ureterolithiasis. Body mass index and stone density in Hausfield units did not significantly affect extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy outcome in this study

A comparison of stone free rate between a diuretic and a control group of patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Objectives: To compare the stone free rate and treatment success rate between a diuretic group of patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and a control placebo group (normal saline solution). Materials and Methods: One hundred and ninety-four patients with solitary renal calculi or ureteric calculi size of 5 mm or over were prospectively randomized into 2 groups. Ninety-seven patients in the first group (diuretic group) underwent ESWL after intravenous injection of furosemide 40 mg, and 97 patients in the second (control) group received normal saline solution 4 ml instead of furosemide prior to ESWL. The treatment protocol included 3,000 shockwaves per patient in each session with the energy beginning at 8 and progressing up to 15 kilovolts. A maximum of 3 ESWL sessions were permitted per patient. The primary outcome was stone free rate, and the secondary outcome was treatment success rate at 3 months after the first ESWL treatment. Results: The stone free rate was 48.5% compared to 50.5% for diuretic group and control group respectively and the treatment success rate was 81.4% compared to 64.9%. The difference in stone free rate was not statistically significantly different (p = 0.87), however the treatment success was, p = 0.01. Conclusion: A combination of diuretic therapy followed by ESWL improves the treatment success rate compared with standard ESWL therapy alone.

Is pain perception different in pediatric and adult patients undergoing stone crushing procedure after the application of multimodal analgesia?

Aim: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is an important modality in the treatment of urinary system stone disease in children and adults. However, ESWL may be painful and stressful procedure. We aimed to examine the differences between pain perception felt during ESWL in children and adult patients after the application of multimodal analgesia. Method: Patients who underwent the stone crushing procedure under multimodal analgesia at the ESWL unit of Mersin University Hospital Urology Clinic between May 2010 and December 2010, were divided into two groups as pediatric and adult. Using the VAS form, the adult patients’ and pediatric patients' pain perception felt during ESWL, were scored and compared. Results: The difference between the mean scores of pain perception felt during ESWL were not significant for all three sessions in both groups. But the difference between the mean scores of pain perception felt during all ESWL sessions between the pediatric and adult groups were significant for all three sessions. The success rate for SWL was calculated as 83.3% for the pediatric group and 80% for the adult group. Conclusion: ESWL is a painful procedure. Our ESWL success rate is compatible with the literature. The pediatric and adult patients successfully completed the ESWL procedure with multimodal analgesia. The pain perception felt during ESWL score was higher in pediatric cases.

Success of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy based on CT texture analysis.

The aims of the study were to evaluate whether computerised tomography texture analysis (CTTA) based on non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) has predictive value for the success of extracorporeal-shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) in upper urinary tract stones (UUTS). This study included 156 of 356 patients undergoing ESWL for UUTS sized 0.5-2cm from 2015 to 2019. Patients with congenital kidney anomalies, radiolucent stones, multiple stones, treated for upper urinary tract stones previously and lower pole stones were excluded from study. The number of ESWL sessions of the patients was as follows: 78 (50%) patients had 1 session, 30 (19.2%) patients had 2 sessions and 48 (30.8%) patients had >2 sessions. First- and second-order CTTA properties of patients' UUTS were evaluated using texture analysis software (LIFEx Software). Other clinical features such as Hounsfield Unit (HU), initial stone size, body-mass index (BMI) and skin to stone distance (SSD) was recorded. The patients were divided into two groups according to ESWL success. Cases with residual stones larger than 4mm were considered failed cases. BMI, the standard deviation of HU, SSD, skewness, kurtosis, entropy and all second-order statistics were found to be statistically different between the two groups except for correlation (P<.05). Multivariate analysis showed longer SSD and four new parameters of CTTA (kurtosis, entropy, dissimilarity and energy by the distribution of pixel grey levels in the UUTS) to be significant predictors for unsuccessful ESWL outcomes. SSD and second-order CTTA properties (dissimilarity and energy) had an area under ROC curve of 0.802, 0.850 and 0.824 at a 95% confidence interval. ESWL success rate in all patients was 76.9%. CTTA can help select patients who will undergo ESWL for upper urinary tract stones. Thus, we can reduce treatment costs and ESWL complications by preventing unnecessary ESWL applications.

The effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for lower calyx stones in children

Introduction. According to current clinical guidelines, the use of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for lower calyx stones is indicated when their size is less than 1 cm. This is due to the low efficiency and high frequency of repeated procedures for larger stones.Purpose of the study. To examine the results of ESWL usage in the treatment of children with lower calyx stones of various sizes.Materials and methods. ESWL was performed on 33 children with lower calyx stones during 2013 - 2018 yrs. Patients were divided into 2 groups: Group I - 24 (72.7%) patients with primary stones, Group II - 9 (27.3%) patients after ESWL of kidney pelvis stones that migrated to the lower calyx. Both groups are divided into subgroups: a - children with stones less than 1 cm and b - with stones more than 1 cm. ESWL was performed under general anesthesia and ultrasound guidance. In all patients after ESWL we used the inversion technique. The result was considered positive in case of the complete elimination of stones was achieved.Results. After the first ESWL session, stone-free status was achieved in 21/33 (63.6%) patients of all groups, after the second ESWL session in 26/33 (78.8%), after 3 sessions - 30/33 (90.9%). In subgroups Ia and IIa, there were 14/22 (63.6%) children after the first ESWL with complete elimination of calculi, and after subsequent sessions, the success rate was 90.9% (20/22 calculi). After the first ESWL session in subgroups Ib and IIb, complete elimination of stones was achieved in 7/11 (63.6%) children, after repeated sessions in 10/11 (90.9%) children.Conclusions. ESWL demonstrates a high efficiency in the treatment of lower calyx stones less and more than 1 cm, both after the first and third sessions, and in the treatment of primary and residual (migrated) stones.

Factors related to the success rate of pediatric extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital: an 8-year single-center experience

BackgroundESWL is still considered as the first favorable therapeutic option for urinary stone disease with acceptable effectivity. However, factors associated with favorable outcome have not been widely studied in pediatrics due to the small number of urinary stone prevalence. The aim of this study is to evaluate the factors associated with the success rate of pediatric ESWL in our center according to immediate stone-free rate and 3-month stone-free rates.MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study of children less than 18 years who had ESWL for urolithiasis from January 2008 until August 2015. Patient’s characteristics including age, gender, BMI, stone location, stone length, stone burden, stone opacity, and number of ESWL sessions were gathered from the medical record. Nutritional status was determined according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention BMI curve. The outcome of this study was the factors related to the success rate in pediatric ESWL.ResultsExtracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy was done for 36 patients and 39 renal units (RUs) with mean age of 13.7 ± 4.3 years old, height of 1480 ± 16.0 cm, and BMI of 20.0 ± 3. Of 36 patients included, 39 renoureteral units (RUs) and 46 ESWL sessions were recorded. The mean overall treatment was 1.2 ± 0.5 sessions with mean stone length of 11.1 ± 6.3 mm and stone burden of 116.6 ± 130.3 mm2. Within 3 months of follow-up, we recorded that the overall 3-month success rate was 100%, while the overall 3-month stone-free rate was 66.7%. Stone length (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001), stone perpendicular length (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001), and stone burden (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001) were found to be significantly associated with immediate success and 3-month stone-free status, respectively.ConclusionsESWL is an effective and safe modality to treat pediatric urolithiasis cases. Stone length, stone perpendicular length, and stone burden were found to be associated with immediate success and 3-month stone-free status after pediatric ESWL treatment.

MINI PERCUTANEOUS NEPHROLITHOTOMY VERSUS EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCK WAVE LITHOTRIPSY IN TREATMENT OF NON LOWER POLAR HIGH DENSITY RENAL STONE 10-20 MM (A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED STUDY)

Background: The optimal management of medium sized renal stones differs from one patient to another according to different factors. Stone attenuation value (SAV) is one of these factors which affect stone free rate (SFR) after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) with limited effect on mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mini-PCNL). Objective: To compare safety and SFR of mini-PCNL and ESWL in the treatment of non-lower pole renal stones with high density and size of 10-20 mm. Patients and Methods: This prospective randomized study was carried out at Sayed Galal, Al Azhar University Hospital, Cairo, Egypt from November 2019 to October 2020 and included 70 patients with non-lower pole renal calculi 10 to 20 mm. Patients were randomly allocated in 2 equal groups: Group A was treated by mini-PCNL and group B was treated by ESWL. The primary end point was SFRs (no stone or residual 3>mm) in ESWL and mini-PCNL in this category of stone. The secondary end points were the complication rate, retreatment rate, and need for auxiliary procedures in each group. Results: The overall operative time was significantly lower in mini-PCNL group (median: 50.00; IQR: 20.00) compared to ESWL group (median: 55.00; IQR: 28.00) (p= 0.001). The overall fluoroscopy time was significantly lower in mini-PCNL than ESWL (3.2 versus 3.6 minutes, p=0.040). In mini-PCNL group, 32 out of 34 (94.1%) patients were stone free. In ESWL group, 10 out of 33 (30.1%) were rendered stone free after the third ESWL session. The SFR was significantly higher in mini-PCNL group (p < 0.001). In mini-PCNL group, none of cases needed a second look PCNL. The 2 failed cases had significant residual fragments that migrated into inaccessible calyx during pneumatic lithotripsy. In ESWL group, all cases had normal hemoglobin (Hb) level at each follow-up visit. In mini-PCNL group, when comparing pre- and post-operative Hb, a very highly significant differences were observed between pre- and post-operative Hb level (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Mini-PCNL is superior to ESWL in treatment of non-lower pole medium sized renal stones of high density with high SFR, and low complication rate as need for re-hospitalization or need for auxiliary procedure.

Results of Treatment of Patients with Ureterolithiasis by Extracorporal Shock Wave Lithotripsy on Siemens Modularis Uro

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) has been used in the treatment of urolithiasis since 1980s. The method has proven to be effective and minimally invasive, but in last years the effectiveness of the method has decreased significantly from 90 % to 60 %. Studying of the causes of this phenomenon and methods of improving treatment outcomes are important problems of modern minimally invasive urology.&#x0D; The objective: to evaluate the effectiveness of the application of ESWL on Siemens Modularis Uro in the treatment of patients with ureterolithiasis.&#x0D; Materials and methods. ESWL was performed in 662 patients with ureteral stones ranging in size from 5 mm to 19 mm on Siemens Modularis Uro.&#x0D; Results. In 95.01 % of cases, the urinary tract was free of stones by the method of ESWL, the removal of stones in 1 session occurred in 376 (56.8 %) patients, with repeated – in 253 (43.2 %) patients. In 33 (4.99 %) patients the result of ESWL was unsatisfactory, fragmentation or elimination of stone fragments did not occur and for these patients ureteroscopy (ureterolithotripsy) was performed as second stage of treatment. During endoscopic intervention in 78.8 % of patients the fragmentation was satisfactory (fragments were smaller than 4 mm), but the elimination of fragments did not occur due to changes of the wall of the ureter in the area of its primary location. The overall rate of stone fragmentation after ESWL sessions in the patients in the trial was 98.94 %. Conducting ESWL with the proposed parameters did not affect the effectiveness of the method (p&gt;0.1), but allowed to significantly increase the life of medical equipment. No complications directly related to lithotripsy were detected.&#x0D; Conclusion. The obtained results make possible to consider ESWL as a priority method of treatment for patients with ureteral stones up to 15 mm, taking into account the risk factors of inefficiency.