PURPOSE Stone size and location are generally considered the most important factors associated with spontaneous ureter stone passage (SSP). Several parameters related to inflammatory changes have been identified as predictors associated with SSP. Our aim was to investigate the predictive role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for SSP. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective review was per...

OBJECTIVES To compare the safety and cost-effectiveness of ureterorenoscopic holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) laser lithotripsy (URSL) with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for proximal ureteral stones. METHODS This investigation assessed 220 patients with upper ureteral stones. Those in the ESWL group were treated on an outpatient basis using the Medispec Econolith 2000 (Med...

PURPOSE Patients with coagulopathy are at increased risk of peri-operative hemorrhage. The aim of the present study was to compare ureteroscopy (URS) in these high risk patients to those with normal bleeding profile. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twelve patients with coagulopathies (Group I) undergoing 17 URS were included in the study [3 for biopsy of ureteral lesions and 9 for Holmium Laser Lithotr...

PURPOSE To present our experience and discuss the various endourological approaches for treating forgotten encrusted ureteral stents associated with stone formation. MATERIALS AND METHODS From July 2006 to December 2008, 14 patients (11 men and 3 women) with encrusted ureteral stents were analyzed. The average indwelling time of the stent was 4.9 years (range 1 to 12). Plain-film radiography ...

BACKGROUND The aim was to retrospectively assess the results of treatment of upper urinary tract stones with the Sonolith vision manufactured by EDAP, and purchased in 2004. METHODS The subjects were 226 Japanese patients who underwent extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) alone as an initial treatment and could be followed up for at least 3 months, selected from 277 candidate patients...

BACKGROUND Patients suffering from renal or ureteral stones can undergo significant discomfort, even when timely diagnosed and treated. The aim of this study was to assess the risk factors and safety of outpatient Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) in the management of patients with renal or ureteral stones. METHODS In this study, our cohort consisted of 844 outpatients who underwen...

Thirty patients (16 men and 14 women) with cystine urinary stones were treated by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (Dormer HM-3) from December 1984 through October 1989. The average patient age was 35.2 years with a range of 14 to 59 years. Seventy per cent of these subjects had had previous open surgical operations for stones. The cases consisted of 7 ureteral stones and 37 renal stones, ...

OBJECTIVES To compare extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) with endoscopic lithotripsy to establish the more efficacious and cost-effective treatment for ureteral calculi. METHODS The records of 112 patients with primary ureteral calculi treated at one center with either ESWL or endoscopic lithotripsy were retrospectively reviewed. Follow-up data at 1 and 3 months were obtained in all...

BACKGROUND This research aims to evaluate the role of tamsulosin in the medical expulsion therapy for distal ureteral stones, including her effects in stone expulsion time, expulsion rates, stone size, pain episodes and analgesic dosage usage. MATERIAL AND METHODS The 104 patients with distal ureteral calculi were examined, with the size of the stones 4-10 mm. They were randomly divided into ...

PURPOSE Management of ureteral stones remains controversial. To determine whether optimizing the extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy delivery rate would improve the treatment of solitary ureteral stones we compared the outcomes of 2 delivery rates in a prospective randomized trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS From July 2010 to October 2012, 254 consecutive patients were randomized to extracorpore...