Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for calcified ureteral stent

Calcification of a ureteral stent has been an unusual complication of long-term stent use for bypassing ureteral obstruction or after surgical repair. Open or percutaneous procedures have usually been required to remove the calcification before the stent can be extracted. We report six cases of calcified ureteral stents successfully managed by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) followed by cystoscopic extraction, thus avoiding open or percutaneous procedures.