Treatment of renal calculi in the elderly

The management of renal calculi in the geriatric patient population poses some unique problems that include anesthetic risks, underlying medical disease, and general risk/benefit concerns. A variety of relatively noninvasive procedures are available, including extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and percutaneous nephrostolithotomy (PCNL). A practical management plan is presented that is based primarily on stone size and takes into consideration problems unique to the elderly patient.