We report our early experience with a new device for endoscopic stone disintegration: the Swiss lithoclast. This device was used to treat 200 patients with stones in kidney, ureter, and bladder. Its effectiveness was 100% when the stone could be approached irrespective of size or composition, and no complication was encountered. Prof. A. Kostakopoulos, Department of Urology, Sismanoglion Genera...

Abstract Background Identifying the precise location of lower ureter is crucial in not only ureteral surgeries but also other that may cause injury. Although a variety approaches have been applied to detect ureter, majority them had an association with several complications or be difficult perform perfectly time-consuming. Case presentation Seven patients distal ureteric stones size ranged from...

PURPOSE This study aimed to determine the predictors of ipsilateral hydronephrosis after ureteroscopic lithotripsy for ureteral calculi. MATERIALS AND METHODS From January 2010 to December 2014, a total of 204 patients with ureteral calculi who underwent ureteroscopic lithotripsy were reviewed. Patients with lack of clinical data, presence of ureteral rupture, and who underwent simultaneous p...

AIM OF THE STUDY To demonstrate how, in a center with a large number of patients, as our center is, it is possible to perform ureterolithotripsy using a limited set of instruments. METHODS We evaluated medical charts of our center related to semirigid ureteral ureteroscopy (URS) with ureterolithotripsy using Holmium laser performed from July 2004 to July 2011. Overall, 658 URS for ureteral st...

PURPOSE We evaluated the influence of urinary stone components on the outcomes of ureteroscopic removal of stones (URS) by electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL) in patients with distal ureteral stones. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients with a single distal ureteral stone with a stone size of 0.5 to 2.0 cm that was completely removed by use of EHL were included in the study. Operating time was defin...

BACKGROUND Shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) is a noninvasive, safe, and efficient treatment option for ureteral stones. Depending on stone location and size, the overall stone-free rate (SFR) varies significantly. Failure of stone disintegration results in unnecessary exposure to shock waves and radiation and requires alternative treatment procedures, which increases medical costs. It is therefore ...

Additional intervention and medical treatment of complications may follow the primary treatment of a ureteral stone. We investigated the cost of the treatment of ureteral stone(s) within 45 days after initial intervention by means of retrospective analysis of the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. All patients of ages ≥20 years diagnosed with ureteral stone(s)( International...

PURPOSE We performed a prospective, randomized clinical trial to evaluate the outcome of ureteral stents for solitary ureteral stones 2 cm or less in moderately or severely obstructed systems using shock wave lithotripsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between 2001 and 2004, 186 patients who met study criteria were randomized into 2 groups. Group 1 received a pre-shock wave lithotripsy 6Fr Double-J st...

PURPOSE The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of tamsulosin on stone clearance after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in patients with a single proximal ureteral stone. MATERIALS AND METHODS This prospective randomized controlled trial was performed on 88 patients with a single proximal ureteral stone. After consenting with a doctor, the patients were allocated ...