The Impact of Transurethral Ureteroscopy on the Management of Ureteric Calculi

Abstract

Transurethral ureteroscopy has now been used in an attempt to retrieve ureteric calculi in 48 patients. Six stones were located in the upper ureter, 11 in the middle and 31 in the lower third of the ureter. Successful retrieval was achieved in 27 patients at the first attempt and in 4 at a second ureteroscopy. Of the 17 failures, 7 patients have required open ureterolithotomy, 3 percutaneous nephrolithotomy and the remainder passed their stones either after in situ disintegration or ureteric meatotomy. There have been no serious complications to date. Transurethral ureteroscopy should now be regarded as the procedure of first choice in the management of ureteric calculi.

Failures and Complications of Transurethral Ureteroscopy in 297 Cases: Conventional Rigid Instruments vs. Small Caliber Semirigid Ureteroscopes

“…However, as with most advances, after a period of enthusiasm for a new technique, drawbacks are observed and reports of early and late complications are collected. Ureteroscopy, which represents a significant and valuable advance in urology [4,5], is a mini-invasive procedure but may result in ureteral injury at any time during the maneuvre. Early and late complications occur in about 9% of the cases with perforations of the ureter being the most frequent one (7%) [3],…”

Ureteral Stone Extraction with the Steffens Lasso Loop

“…The current treatments of choice for distal ureteral stones that are not spontaneously passed are ESWL [ 13,19], EPL [14,21] and ureteroscopic extraction in combi nation with ultrasonic disintegration [1,5,7,11,12], Few reports on loop catheter extraction are to be found in the urologie literature [4, 6, 8-10, 15, 18], This tech nique has fallen into disuse as a result of the develop ment of alternative techniques. However, the procedure has a remarkably high success rate of about 80% and a very low morbidity rate of roughly 1% [4, 6, 8, 10, 15, traumatic than with basket extraction, which is associ ated with a higher risk of significant complications than the loop methods [4].…”

Basket Extraction - Its Place in the Current Treatment of the Lower Ureteric Stone: Clinical Experience

“…Long-term results, however, are not available. Ford et al [9] reported one degree I reflux out of 10 patients after ureterorenoscopy.…”