The surgical treatment of mixed phosphatic renal lithiasis. Long-term follow-up

Of a total of 36 patients operated on for mixed phosphatic renal lithiasis without renal cooling, 26 were re-examined after a mean postoperative interval of 51 1/2 months. Pelvic and calyceal stones had been present in 17 of these patients and staghorn stones in 9. All the patients had presented with persistent urinary tract infection. The total of kidneys operated on was 41. Examination 1 to 3 months after the operation showed complete stone clearance in 85% of these kidneys nd freedom for urinary tract infection in 78% of the patients. At long-term follow-up 73% of the patients had no urinary tract infection. The follow-up investigation suggest that tiny fragments of stone may be left in difficult operations, since such fragments do not necessarily lead to formation of new stones and are not necessarily accompanied by persistent urinary tract infection.