Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) Outcome Based on CT Scan and Patient Parameters Using ESWL Score

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Nephrology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a common treatment for kidney stones.
• Predicting ESWL outcomes is crucial for optimizing patient management.
• The novel ESWL Score aims to stratify patients based on stone characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively evaluate outcomes of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL).
• To validate the predictive accuracy of the newly developed ESWL Score.
• To assess the correlation between ESWL Score and stone clearance rates.

Main Methods:

• An observational study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital from January to December 2021.
• Included patients had symptomatic, solitary, radio-opaque renal stones (<15 mm) with normal renal function.
• The ESWL Score was calculated based on stone size (<11mm), BMI (<27 Kg/m²), and stone density (<900 HU), with scores ranging from 0-3.

Main Results:

• 146 patients were analyzed, with median stone size of 8 mm and density of 774 HU.
• Overall stone clearance rate was 68% (99/146 patients).
• Stone clearance significantly increased with higher ESWL Scores (50% for score 0 to 85.7% for score 3, p=0.01).

Conclusions:

• The ESWL Score is a valuable predictor of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy success.
• This score can assist in selecting individualized treatment modalities.
• The ESWL Score facilitates improved patient counseling regarding treatment outcomes.