[Extracorporeal shock wave treatment of urinary calculi. Results after treatment of the first 207 patients at the Copenhagen City Stone Center with a second generation lithotriptor].

Early experience of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) using a second generation lithotriptor (Siemens Lithostar) is reported. Two hundred and seven patients underwent 272 treatments for 291 stones. There were 259 renal calculi, including three staghorn calculi and 32 ureteric calculi. Treatments were performed under local analgesia (78%) or epidural or general anaesthesia (22%) when invasive procedures had to be done in connection with the treatment. Stone fragmentation was achieved with 2,487 +/- 1,262 shocks. The first month stone clearance rate was 43%, 24% had fragments less than 6 mm and 33% had residual stones. The same figures after three and six months were 57%, 23% and 20% and 71%, 23% and 6%, respectively. Septicaemia occurred in four patients and cardiac arrhythmia in 24 patients (12%); no serious intra- or perirenal heamatomas were registered. In 7% additional procedures were required, seven patients had residual stones removed at an open operation. The Lithostar is an effective second generation lithotriptor which can be used for renal, staghorn and ureteric calculi in situ in all three segments without stone manipulation prior to ESWL.