Results of minimally invasive procedures for ESWL refractory renal stones smaller than 2 cm: A single center experience.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacyand reliability of endourological procedures in patientswith renal stones up to 2 cm that were found to be resistantto extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL).

METHODS: 611 patients who had undergone ESWLdue to renal stones up to 2 cm at the ESWL unit of ourclinic, were retrospectively evaluated. Standard percutaneousnephrolithotomy (PNL), micro-PNL, retrogradeintrarenal surgery (RIRS) was performed on the patientswho had stones resistant to ESWL. Demographic data,stone free rate, duration of hospital stay, duration of operation,the duration of scopy, the rates of transfusion andthe complications were recorded. RESULTS: The mean age of 611 patients included tothe current study was 40.76±15.45 years, the meansize of stones was calculated as 205.47±90.5 mm2.While the renal stones were removed in 468 patients(76.59%) after ESWL, endourological procedures wereperformed in 142 patients (23.24%) who had ESWLresistant stones. Standard PNL was performed in 73patients (51.4%), RIRS was performed in 51 patients(35.91%), micro-PNL was performed in 18 patients(12.68%). The success rates after the surgical procedureswere 93.15%, 90.16% and 88.88%, respectively.No major complication was observed in patient groupswho had undergone RIRS and microPNL.

CONCLUSION: The surgical approaches, which areselected according to the size and localization of stones,could provide a success rate of 98.03% in ESWLresistant stones and these procedures could be reliablyperformed with considerably lower complication rates.