[Importance of open and laparoscopic stone surgery]

The increasing spread and technical enhancement of endourological methods has led to displacement of the surgical therapy of renal and ureteral calculi.

Based on a review of current literature, we describe indications, technique, and clinical importance of the open and laparoscopic management of urolithiasis.

In Europe and North America, the surgical therapy of urolithiasis only plays a role in cases of very large or hard stones, after failure of shock wave lithotripsy, percutaneous nephrolithotripsy, or ureteroscopic stone removal, and in cases of abnormal renal anatomy, i.e., only in a few percent of all stone therapies. However, in developing countries and emerging markets with different structure and funding of the health care system where the methods of endourology are not readily available, these techniques still have a higher importance. Particularly in Europe, laparoscopic surgery is emerging because calculi can be removed from almost all locations in the kidney and ureter using a transperitoneal or retroperitoneal access. Functional outcomes and complication rates are comparable. The benefits of laparoscopy are less postoperative pain, shorter hospital stay, faster convalescence, and better cosmetic results.

Although procedures for open and laparoscopic removal of renal and ureteral calculi are only performed in rare cases in daily urological practice, they are superior to the endourological techniques in some circumstances. Therefore, they should still be part of the urologist's skills.