Effectiveness of SWL for lower-pole caliceal nephrolithiasis: evaluation of 452 cases

The authors report on the treatment of lower-pole caliceal nephrolithiasis with extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) using the Czech-made Medilit M-5 lithotripter. In 310 patients, they have performed 452 treatments and evaluated the results 3 months after the last session using plain radiographs and ultrasound examination. The effectiveness of treatment and the success rate of SWL decreased with increasing size of stones: with stones >20 mm, it declined to 30%. This poor success rate was attributable not only to the size of the concrement, but also to its location in a lower calix, which is unfavorable for the passage of fragments. For big lower-pole caliceal stones (>20 mm in the longest diameter), the authors recommend percutaneous nephrolithotomy as the primary management method, the effectiveness of which does not depend on the size of the stone. The success rate achieved in treating the lower-pole caliceal lithiasis using the Medilit M-5 machine was 61.3%, similar to that achieved with other lithotripters.