Retrograde intrarenal surgery for impacted upper ureteral stone in a patient with advanced lumbar scoliosis and lower-extremity development defect: a case report

Today, retrograde intrarenal surgery is the most preferred and very successful treatment method for upper ureteral stones that do not spontaneously pass and/or do not benefit from extracorporeal wave lithotripsy. However, perioperative complications are more common in retrograde intrarenal surgery if the stone in the ureter is impacted. Moreover, urosepsis and renal dysfunction are detected more frequently in patients with impacted stones. Impacted stones, which are a risky stone group even in patients with normal vertebral anatomy, are a more challenging situation in patients with advanced vertebral scoliosis. It is difficult to achieve an operating position in these patients. In addition, the ureteral tracing is altered, curved, and tortuous, making it more difficult for the endoscope to advance through the ureter.

In this case report, we present a 23-year-old Caucasian male patient with right concavity and severe scoliosis, lower-extremity developmental disorder, and urosepsis. To treat the urosepsis picture, first percutaneous nephrostomy drainage was provided and the urine was sterilized with appropriate antibiotics according to the culture/antibiogram. Then, we performed ureterolithotripsy with a flexureterorenoscope. Finally, we see that flexible ureterorenoscopic lithotripsy to the upper ureteral stone with impacted stones, which is a very challenging operation even in patients with normal vertebrae, could be successfully performed in our patient with advanced scoliosis deformity.

High stone-free and low complication rates can be obtained with flexible ureterorenoscopic retrograde intrarenal surgery in medium-sized impacted upper ureteral stones in patients with advanced scoliosis.