[Treatment of ureteral lithiasis using rigid ureteroscopy]

The authors report 46 cases of rigid ureteroscopy for ureteral stone removal. Ureteroscopy procedures for extraction of lithiasis are the next-ones: stone forceps, stone basket, ultrasonic lithotripsy and electrohydraulic lithotripsy. Manipulation of calculi is done under direct vision. A success rate of ureteroscopy was of 89% (41 patients). All of the patients with stone removal failure underwent immediate operative intervention (open ureterolithotomy in 4 patients and ureteral reimplantation in 1). The best results were obtained for distal calculi (pelvic lithiasis): success rate of 91.4%. The success rate of lumbar lithiasis was of 87.5% and of iliac lithiasis of 66.7%. Complications did not preclude a successful stone manipulation. These results are compared with other series and procedures for stone extraction are discussed.