The effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in the treatment of ureteral stones in children.

PURPOSE

In our study, we evaluated retrospectively the efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in the treatment of ureteral stones in children.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between the dates of 2005-2010, 62 children who were applied ESWL due to the ureteral stone in our Clinic and consisted of 42 males and 20 girls whose mean age was 6.6+/=3.1 were evaluated. 31 (50%) of the patients were upper ureteral stone, 10 (16.1%) of them were middle ureteral stone and 21 (33.9%) of them were lower ureteral stone. The sizes of the stones were 4 to 17 mm, the average was 7.1 mm. ESWL was performed in the supine position for upper ureteral stones, in the supine/prone position for middle and lower ureteral stones.

RESULTS

Stone-free rate was determined as 93.5% in three-month follow-up of the patients. Re-treatment was done at 14.5% of the patients. The implementation of ESWL was ended unsuccessfully at 4 children (6.5%). A significant difference was not detected between three-month stone-free rates in terms of the size of the stones and location. There was not any serious complication at any of the patients.

CONCLUSIONS

According to these findings ESWL with its high stone-free rates and negligible complications is the first method to be refered in the treatment of ureteral stones in children.