Three hundred and ninety five cases in 358 consecutive patients (male-232, female-126) with renal and ureteric stones were treated with extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) from March to November 1988. They either had ESWL alone, or in combination with stone manipulation or debulking percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PCNL). Seventy five percent of the stones were found in the pelvicalyceal system and 25% in the ureter. Seventy-six percent of the stones were less than 25mm size. Two hundred and ninety (79%) cases were followed up to three months. Two hundred and forty nine (85.9%) cases were stone free and 36 (12.4%) had residual sand less than 3mm size. Five (1.7%) cases failed to fragment with ESWL monotherapy and were salvaged by either percutaneous or ureteroscopic intervention. None of the cases required any open surgery intervention.
To determine the efficacy of a combination of simultaneous shock wave lithotripsy (SWL), hydration with controlled inversion therapy compared with SWL with hydration alone in patients with lower pole calyx stones.
Pros and cons of Percutaneous Nephrolithotripsy (PCNL) versus Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy (ESWL) have often been highlighted when one discusses on the management of renal stones. An oft quoted point is that PCNL entails a prolonged hospital stay whereas ESWL sessions are day surgical in nature. However, PCNL has superior stone clearance rate as compared to ESWL especially for lower pole stones. In addition, PCNL is more suitable for large bulk stones and when ancillary procedures are required e.g. endopyelotomy. The first 50 cases of successful tubeless PCNL were reported by Bellman et al in 1997. The remarkable recovery of patients in their series encouraged them to employ this technique as their technique of choice for the majority of their cases. A similar technique was employed on endopyelotomy by Liang et al and they concluded that this was a safe, less morbid and effective technique. We report our first case of tubeless PCNL.
Sixty eight consecutive cases of percutaneous renal surgery, percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PCNL), were performed on 64 patients (male-41, female-23) at the Subang Jaya Medical Centre from April 1988 to July 1989. All the cases were done as a one stage procedure. Fifty eight stones were large renal or staghorn and ten were ureteric. Thirty cases (41%) were stone free after PCNL alone. Thirty eight cases had residual fragments needing extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL). Mean operating time was 109.6 +/- 36.0 minutes. Mean hospital stay was 4.5 +/- 1.8 days. At three months follow-up, 86% of the cases were stone free. The remaining had residual sand (less than 3mm). Minor complications occurred in six patients. None required major surgical intervention post PCNL.
The clinical presentation of patients with bilateral stones is discussed. The majority of patients presenting to the Nephrology Unit were in renal failure. Aggressive medical treatment allowed
diagnostic procedures and definitive surgery to be performed in uraemic patients. Most patients presenting in uraemia benefitted from treatment.
Study Site: Urology Unit, General Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The life of Lord Moynihan is briefly reviewed. Incidence of stones in Peninsular Malaysia appears to show the same trend as in other industrialised countries. Management of urinary calculi both prior to and after the introduction of ESWL in a personal series is discussed. More than 90% of urinary stones are now treated by ESWL threatening the place of surgery in Urology. The pattern of incorporating renal transplantation into the urological training programme as practised in the Institute of Urology and Nephrology in Malaysia is suggested as a way to assure a place for surgery in Urology.