ESWL monotherapy for large stones and staghorn calculi

From December 1986 through March 1988, 52 renal units (RU) with large stone burden have been treated by ESWL monotherapy. In all patients a ureteral stent was placed prior to lithotripsy, to provide drainage of the kidney during the period of stone passage. Data of 43 RU were collected for the present report. Complications ; following treatment were infrequent (2%), whereas auxiliary measures became necessary in 32% of the patients. After a mean follow-up of 9.1 months, 54% of the patients were found stone-free. Stratification according to different stone types and compositions revealed that none of the 7 patients with complete staghorns could be completely cleared and that struvite stones had a significantly better outcome than calcium oxalate stones (75 vs. 25%). Consequently, for a large but not excessive stone burden in a normal or only slightly dilated renal collecting system, ESWL monotherapy under the protection of a ureteral stent may be a comparably safe alternative to percutaneous surgery.