[A 10-month experience with extracorporeal shockwave therapy of urolithiasis]

From November 1987 treatment of urinary lithiasis regardless location was initiated in our Service of extracorporal renal lithofragmentation using shockwaves. Up until August 1988 (10 months), 411 patients have been treated representing a total of 590 lithiasis and 699 sessions on which the present communication is based; treatment included calculus of various chemical composition, as well as different sizes and locations. Also the relationship between sex, age, number of waves, use of analgesia, hospital stay, etc, has been considered. Results obtained after a 2.5 months follow-up are: 60.34% fragments-free and 39.41% in expulsion stage. Monotherapy was chosen in 98% cases and multiple drug therapy in the remaining 2%. There has been no case of complementary open surgical therapy. Thus, we consider extracorporal renal lithofragmentation as the ideal treatment for urinary lithiasis, as long as the indication is correct. And we believe it to be the ideal treatment since it is a simple procedure, highly effective and with few complications.