Comparison between nephroscopy and ureteroscopy for the treatment of concurrent infection of ureteral calculi

Objective: To compare the effects of calculus removal through nephroscopy and holmium laser calculus removal through ureteroscopy on patients with concurrent urinary infection at one side of their upper ureteral calculi. Method: A total of 160 patients admitted to our hospital because of concurrent urinary infection at one side of their upper ureteral calculi were selected from March 2014 to February 2016 and randomly divided into two groups: the control group comprised 80 cases treated with holmium laser calculus removal through ureteroscopy and the observation group included 80 cases subjected to calculus removal through nephroscopy. The clinical effects on renal functions and their indexes were compared. Results: The calculus clearance rate of the observation group was 96.3%, which was higher than that (85.0%) of the control group. The Cr, BUN, and Cys-C levels of the patients in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Before treatment was administered, the differences in IPSS, MFR, and QOL scores between the two groups were not significant (P>0.05). After the patients were treated, the IPSS and QOL scores in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05) and the MFR score in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). The occurrence rate of postoperative complications in the observation group was 5.0%, which was significantly lower than that (16.2%) in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Calculus removal through nephroscopy for patients with concurrent urinary infection at one side of their upper ureteral calculi was superior to holmium laser calculus removal through ureteroscopy. The former could also radically eliminate calculi and reduce postoperative complications. Therefore, calculus removal through nephroscopy should be further promoted.