Noninvasive anesthesia, analgesia and radiation-free extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for stones in the most distal ureter: Experience with 165 patients

Purpose: Spontaneous ureteral stone passage often causes severe renal colic, especially when the stone passes through the narrow ureteral orifice. In these situations noninvasive anesthesia-free, analgesia-free and radiation-free extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) (Dornier Medical Systems, Marietta, Georgia) is a valuable tool. It can be performed at any time without needing any further patient preparation. Materials and Methods: A total of 165 patients underwent ESWL using the Lithostar Ultra device (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). Only ureteral calculi within 5 cm. of the ureterovesical junction were included in this study. Patients were treated while supine and stones were localized by ultrasound through the filled bladder without x-ray exposure. Treatment was started without anesthesia or analgesia and analgesics were administered only at patient request during treatment. Results: Of the patients 93% were treated without anesthesia or analgesia and 7% required a single intravenous dose of 25 mg. pethidine. Postoperatively renal colic developed in 40 patients (24%). In 4 cases (2.4%) renal drainage was required for analgesia resistant pain or obstructive pyelonephritis. On day 1 after ESWL 90% of the patients were stone-free or had fragments 2 mm. or less, while 10% had residual fragments 3 mm. or greater. Of all patients 7% were re-treated once. At 3 months postoperatively 129 of the 130 evaluable patients (99%) were stone-free. Conclusions: ESWL of stones located in the most distal ureter using the Lithostar Ultra device is effective, safe and radiation-free. It is done without anesthesia and in most cases without analgesics. This simple and noninvasive procedure is an excellent first line treatment modality for prevesical stones and it represents a valid alternative to conservative management or invasive endoscopy.