Does morbid obesity influence the success and complication rates of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy for upper ureteral stones?

OBJECTIVE The aim of the current study was to investigate whether obesity influences the outcome of extra-corporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) treatment for upper ureteral stones. MATERIAL AND METHODS This is a retrospective study of 134 patients who underwent ESWL between June 2011 and May 2014. Patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 comprised 94 patients of normal weight, and group 2 comprised 40 morbidly obese patients. Patients in both groups had upper ureteral stones. RESULTS The mean age of groups 1 and 2 was 45.6±12.1 and 45.3±15.5 years, respectively (p=0.98). There was no significant difference in demographic variables between the groups. The mean stone size in groups 1 and 2 was 81.7±25.7 mm(2) and 86.3±22.4 mm(2), respectively (p=0.51), the mean body mass index (BMI) was 27.4±2.9 and 42.9±2.1, respectively (p<0.01), the mean number of ESWL sessions was 2.4±0.6 and 2.4±0.7, respectively (p=0.97), and the mean follow-up time was 7.1±3.4 and 6.6±2.8 weeks, respectively (p=0.67). The overall stone-free rate was 82% in group 1 and 67% in group 2 (p=0.01). CONCLUSION It is well-known that morbidly obese patients have higher rates of anesthesia-related problems due to the comorbidities commonly observed in this population. In the current study, we found that ESWL is a safe and acceptable treatment option for morbidly obese patients with upper ureteral stones.