In the era of flexible ureteroscopy is there still a place for Shock-wave lithotripsy?: Opinion: NO

Will the advances in retrograde intrarenal surgery extinguish percutaneous nephrolithotomy for stones larger than 2 cm?

“…However, recent technological advances in retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) including development of digital ureteroscopes and high-power lithotripsy generators result in better stone free rates (SFR) while offering less morbidity to patients, hence broadening the indications of this technique, including large and complex stones ( 4 , 5 ). Better outcomes translate into an increasing number of RIRS worldwide ( 6 ), but bring about the question: will RIRS, ultimately, extinguish PCNL as the main surgical treatment for large stones?…”