Effective and quick discharge of residual fragments after minimal invasive stone procedures with “EPVL” modality: a new and promising approach

Excerpt

Residual stone fragments and/or gravel following extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) or retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) constitute a real challenge to the endourologists in clinical practice due to the high risk of stone re-growth, infection, obstruction as well as new stone formation. Although these fragments may pass spontaneously with conservative measures in a considerable percentage of the cases; this process may affect the patients’s quality of life with the possible obstruction and distressing colic pain in most cases. Keeping this fact in mind, several non-invasive therapeutic strategies, including mechanical percussion, forced diuresis, body inversion (PDI), ultrasound waves and prototype magnetic tool have been introduced and applied in an attempt to facilitate the passage of these residual fragments after above mentioned minimal invasive stone management procedures. However, clinical efficacy of those measures remains really controversial [1]. …