Value of focal applied energy quotient in treatment of ureteral lithiasis with shock waves.

The treatment of ureteral lithiasis by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is progressively being abandoned owing to advances in endoscopic lithotripsy. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the causes as to why ESWL is less effective-with a measurable parameter: focal applied energy quotient (FAEQ) that allows us to apply an improvement project in ESWL results for ureteral lithiasis. A prospective observational cohort study with 3-year follow-up and enrollment period was done with three groups of cases. In Group A, 83 cases of ureteral lithiasis were treated by endoscopic lithotripsy using Holmiun:YAG laser. In Group B, 81 cases of ureteral lithiasis were treated by ESWL using Doli-S device (EMSE 220F-XXP). In Group C, 65 cases of ureteral lithiasis were treated by ESWL using Doli-S device (EMSE 220F-XXP) (FAEQ >10). Statistical study and calculation of RR, NNT, Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and Student's t test were done. Efficiency quotient (EQ) and focal applied energy quotient [FAEQ = (radioscopy seconds/number of shock waves) × ESWL session J] were analyzed. From the results, the success rate of the treatment using Holmium:YAG laser lithotripsy and ESWL is found to be 94 and 48%, respectively, with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). Success rate of endoscopic laser lithotripsy for lumbar ureteral stones was 82% versus 57% of ESWL (p = 0.611). In Group B, FAEQ was 8.12. In Group C, success rate was 93.84% with FAEQ of 10.64%. When we compare results from endoscopic lithotripsy with Holmium:YAG laser in Group B with results from ESWL with FAEQ >10, we do not observe absolute benefit choosing one or the other. In conclusion, the application of ESWL with FAEQ >10, that is, improving radiologic focalization of the calculus and increasing the number of Joules/SW, makes possible a treatment as safe and equally efficient as Holmium:YAG laser lithotripsy in ureteral lithiasis less than 13 mm.

The oblique supine decubitus position: technical description and comparison of results with the prone decubitus and dorsal supine decubitus positions.

Our objective was to analyze the advantages of the percutaneous nephrolithotomy in oblique supine decubitus compared to the prone and dorsal supine position. In 87 patients diagnosed with urolithiasis (495.5-530.8 mm(2)), percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) was performed from 2000 to 2011. The patients were divided into three groups: Group A, 32 patients, PNL in the prone decubitus position; Group B, 24 patients, PNL in the dorsal supine position; Group C, 31 patients, PNL in the oblique supine position. We analyzed intraoperative parameters, complications, and results among the three groups. The three procedures were performed with a single access, 24-30 Ch. No statistically significant differences were found among the three groups regarding the patients' characteristics, or the morphology or size of the kidney stone treated. The operation time was shorter in the cases of PNL in dorsal supine and oblique supine compared to the prone position. The complication rate was very similar in the three groups. The main advantage of the PNL in oblique supine compared to the dorsal supine was that the puncture could in all cases be directed by ultrasonography, with greater precision, more safety, and more control of the percutaneous renal access. The oblique supine decubitus position is a safe position for the percutaneous treatment of urolithiasis and it becomes easier when the puncture is guided by ultrasound.

Complications from the placement of a tension-free suburethral sling using the transobturator and retropubic methods for treatment of female urinary incontinence.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to retrospectively analyze surgical complications arising from the collocation of suburethral mesh in the lower urinary tract, using both the transobturator and retropubic methods. PATIENTS AND METHODS: During the period between November 2002 and June 2011, we retrospectively studied 190 patients that were treated for stress urinary incontinence using a tension-free suburethral sling. 50 patients were treated using the retropubic route (SPARC®), and 140 patients were treated using a transobturator (MONARC®). RESULTS: In total, 16.57% of the patients presented with intraoperative, immediate postoperative or later postoperative complications. We observed a higher rate of complications with patients who were operated on retropubically (26%) than with patients who were operated on using the transobturator method (12%). CONCLUSIONS: The rate of complications for our study was low, and was even lower in the case of transobturator tape. Thus, we usually used transobturator tape in the treatment of stress incontinence.

Vesicoureteral refulx in overactive bladder: medical resolution through botulin toxin injection.

OBJECTIVE: Overactive bladder may have a neurogenic or non neurogenic origin. Sometimes, as a result of detrusor overactivity, disorders of the upper urinary tract function may appear. One of these alterations may be the appearance of associated vesicoureteral reflux. The treatment of overactive bladder may be done with anticholinergic drugs and if there is not response the use of botulin toxin type A is approved. The aim of this case report is to demonstrate the effect of botulin toxin type A in the treatment of overactive bladder and vesicoureteral reflux secondary to the overactive bladder. METHOD: We present the case of a 10-year-old patient without significant past medical history. When he was one year old he had a urinary infection and voiding cystourethrogram showed grade 1 right vesicoureteral reflux. When he was 4 year old he presented several episodes of pyelonephritis and then he was diagnosed of severe bilateral vesicoureteral reflux, which did not respond to treatment with Macroplastic ® or Deflux ®. Urodynamic study was performed showing overactive bladder with decreased bladder compliance. RESULTS: We performed intravesical injection of 200 U of botulin toxin type A and vesicoureteral reflux disappeared and urodynamic study improved. One year later we re-injected botulin toxin type A (300 U) and we repeated the injection after one year (300 U). The patient is currently well, without changes in the urodynamic study and without vesicoureteral reflux. CONCLUSION: Repeated injections of botulin toxin type A has shown great efficacy in the treatment of overactive bladder in children with vesicoureteral reflux improved secondary.

Treatment of ureteral lithiasis with tamsulosin: literature review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Ninety percent of ureteral calculi <4 mm are expelled over a period of 3 months; if they are >6 mm the elimination possibilities are reduced to 30%. Presently, investigations in the treatment of ureteral lithiasis have the objective of modifying ureter contractibility with the aid of calcium antagonist and alpha-blocking drugs. The objective of this study is to analyze the effect of tamsulosin in the treatment of the distal ureter lithiasis and to make a systematic analysis of the literature. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a prospective study 70 cases of distal ureter lithiasis were divided into 2 groups: group 1 = 35 cases treated with ibuprofen (600 mg/12 h) and 2,000 ml water/24 h with tramadol on demand, and group 2 = 35 cases with the same treatment as described before plus tamsulosin 0.4 mg/day over 3 weeks. The number of stone-free patients, time to expulsion and the necessity for analgesia were evaluated. A literature review (2002-2007) and meta-analysis of 11 studies was performed. Statistical analysis included relative risk (RR), number needed to treat (NNT) and chi(2) test. RESULTS: Group 1 reported 19 stone expulsions (54.3%) and group 2 30 expulsions [85.7%, chi(2) = 8.23 (p < 0.01), RR = 1.58, NNT = 3 (95% CI 2-9)]. The mean time to expulsion was 14 days in group 1 and 8 days in group 2. No side effects were detected. Meta-analysis included 792 patients: 392 patients in group 1 and 400 patients in group 2. Group 1 reported 211 stone expulsions (53.8%) and group 2 reported 332 expulsions [83%, chi(2) = 78.17 (p < 0.01), RR = 1.54, absolute benefit = 29.2% (95% CI 23-35.3%), NNT = 3 (95% CI 3-4)]. The mean time to expulsion was 9.45 days in group 1 and 6.07 days in group 2 treated with tamsulosin; a significant difference was observed in all studies. CONCLUSIONS: Tamsulosin increases the elimination of distal ureter lithiasis of <10 mm.

Outcome of urethral strictures treated by endoscopic urethrotomy and urethroplasty.

INTRODUCTION: We analyze the outcomes of patients with urethral stricture who underwent surgical treatment within the past 5 years. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of male patients who underwent surgery for urethral stricture at our service from January 2008 to June 2012. We analyzed the comorbidities, type, length and location of the stricture and the surgical treatment outcome after endoscopic urethrotomy, urethroplasty or both. RESULTS: In total, 45 patients with a mean age of 53.7 ± 16.7 years underwent surgical treatment for urethral stricture. Six months after surgery, 46.7% of the patients had a maximum urinary flow greater than 15 mL/s, whereas 87.3% of the patients exhibited no stricture by urethrography after the treatment. The success rate in the patients undergoing urethrotomy was 47.8% versus 86.4% in those undergoing urethroplasty (p = 0.01). Twenty percent of the patients in whom the initial urethrotomy had failed subsequently underwent urethroplasty, thereby increasing the treatment success. CONCLUSION: In most cases, the treatment of choice for urethral stricture should be urethroplasty. Previous treatment with urethrotomy does not appear to produce adverse effects that affect the outcome of a urethroplasty if urethrotomy failed, so urethrotomy may be indicated in patients with short strictures or in patients at high surgical risk.

Clinical efficacy in the treatment of overactive bladder refractory to anticholinergics by posterior tibial nerve stimulation.

PURPOSE: Overactive bladder (OAB) is a clinical syndrome that is currently treated initially with anticholinergics, although some other therapeutic alternatives exist, such as neuromodulation, botulinum toxin, and posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS). The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of PTNS in patients with OAB refractory to anticholinergics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We present a cohort study of 14 women with OAB to whom we applied PTNS. We assessed (before and after the treatment) the diurnal micturitional frequency, the nocturnal micturitional frequency, urgency episodes, and urge incontinence episodes. Results were analyzed by using the Wilcoxon test for nonparametric samples. RESULTS: We observed statistically significant improvement in the diurnal micturitional frequency (p=0.05), in episodes of micturitional urgency (p=0.03), and in episodes of urge incontinence (p=0.004). A total of 50% of the patients felt subjective improvement from their pathology. CONCLUSIONS: PTNS is a valid, minimally invasive treatment option with minimum morbidity for patients with OAB refractory to treatment with anticholinergics.

Therapeutic options in lithiasis of the lumbar ureter.

INTRODUCTION: In the past 25 years, the treatment of lithiasis of the lumbar ureter has evolved from ureterolithotomy to extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy and/or endoscopic lithotripsy. Our objective has been to analyse the results of extracorporeal lithotripsy and endoscopic surgery in lithiasis of the lumbar ureter. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have analysed 734 single calculi of the lumbar ureter treated during the decade 1990-2000, excluding patients with lithiasis in other locations in order to avoid bias in the assessment of the results. Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) was carried out using a Siemens Lithostar, urinary diversion with a double pigtail ureteric catheter or percutaneous nephrostomy, semi-rigid ureteroscopy and electrokinetic contact lithotripsy. The patient were divided into six groups. We assessed complete and partial success, the fragmentation index, and complications, analysing the results using a test for the comparison of proportions. RESULTS: In group A, non-obstructive lithiasis treated by in situ ESWL, complete success was achieved in 95.5%. In group B, obstructed lithiasis treated by in situ ESWL, 93.15%. In group C, obstructive lithiasis treated with a double pigtail catheter and ESWL, 81.11%. In group D, obstructive lithiasis treated with percutaneous nephrostomy and ESWL, 93.75%. In group E, ureteric lithiasis <1cm, treated by retrograde displacement to the renal cavities and ESWL, 82.3%. In group F, lithiasis of the lumbar ureter treated by ureteroscopy, 91%. CONCLUSIONS: The primary therapeutic option for the treatment lithiasis of the lumbar ureter, in the absence of criteria for urinary diversion, is in situ ESWL. We consider the criteria for urinary diversion prior to ESWL to be severe obstruction, obstruction associated with urinary tract infection, and obstruction caused by a proximal ureteric calculus adjacent to the inferior renal pole. Ureteroscopy and/or contact lithotripsy is the technique of choice in lithiasis of the lumbar ureter resistant to ESWL due to non-fragmentation or to the persistence of impacted fragments. Ureteroscopy may be the first choice of therapy in obstructive lithiasis, substituting urinary diversion plus ESWL.

Reflujo vesicoureteral en vejiga hiperactiva: resolución con inyección de toxina botulínica / Vesicoureteral refulx in overactive bladder: medical resolution through botulin toxin injection

OBJETIVO: La vejiga hiperactiva puede tener un origen neurogénico o no neurogénico. En ocasiones, como consecuencia de dicha hiperactividad del detrusor pueden producirse alteraciones en la funcionalidad del tracto urinario superior. Una de esas alteraciones puede ser la aparición de reflujo vesicoureteral asociado. El tratamiento de dicha vejiga hiperactiva puede hacerse con anticolinérgicos y en caso de no presentar respuestas, está aprobado el uso de toxina botulínica tipo A. El objetivo es demostrar el efecto de la toxina botulínica tipo A en el tratamiento de la vejiga hiperactiva y del reflujo vesicoureteral secundario a la misma. MÉTODO: Presentamos el caso de un paciente de 10 años sin antecedentes personales de interés que al año de vida presentó infección urinaria y en cistouretrografía miccional seriada tenía reflujo vesicoureteral derecho grado 1. A los 4 años de edad presentó varios episodios de pielonefritis diagnosticándose de reflujo vesicoureteral severo bilateral no respondiendo a tratamiento con macroplastic® ni deflux®. Se realizó estudio urodinámico observando vejiga hiperactiva con disminución de la acomodación vesical. RESULTADOS: Se realizó inyección intravesical de 200 U de toxina botulínica tipo A observando remisión del reflujo vesicoureteral y mejoría en el estudio urodinámico. Al año se vuelve a inyectar toxina botulínica tipo A (300 U) y se repite un año después la inyección de 300 U, estando actualmente el paciente bien, sin alteraciones en el estudio urodinámico y sin reflujo vesicoureteral. CONCLUSIÓN: La inyección repetida de toxina botulínica tipo A ha demostrado gran eficacia en el tratamiento de la vejiga hiperactiva en niños con mejoría del reflujo vesicoureteral secundario(AU)

OBJECTIVE: Overactive bladder may have a neurogenic or non neurogenic origin. Sometimes, as a result of detrusor overactivity, disorders of the upper urinary tract function may appear. One of these alterations may be the appearance of associated vesicoureteral reflux. The treatment of overactive bladder may be done with anticholinergic drugs and if there is not response the use of botulin toxin type A is approved.The aim of this case report is to demonstrate the effect of botulin toxin type A in the treatment of overactive bladder and vesicoureteral reflux secondary to the overactive bladder. METHOD: We present the case of a 10-year-old patient without significant past medical history. When he was one year old he had a urinary infection and voiding cystourethrogram showed grade 1 right vesicoureteral reflux. When he was 4 year old he presented several episodes of pyelonephritis and then he was diagnosed of severe bilateral vesicoureteral reflux, which did not respond to treatment with Macroplastic ® or Deflux ®. Urodynamic study was performed showing overactive bladder with decreased bladder compliance. RESULTS: We performed intravesical injection of 200 U of botulin toxin type A and vesicoureteral reflux disappeared and urodynamic study improved. One year later we reinjected botulin toxin type A (300 U) and we repeated the injection after one year (300 U). The patient is currently well, without changes in the urodynamic study and without vesicoureteral reflux. CONCLUSION: Repeated injections of botulin toxin type A has shown great efficacy in the treatment of overactive bladder in children with vesicoureteral reflux improved secondary(AU)

Malformaciones renoureterales y litiasis. Enfoque terapéutico / Renoureteral malformations and calculi: therapeutic approach

OBJETIVO: Evaluar en base a nuestra experiencia el manejo terapéutico de la litiasis en malformaciones renoureterales mediante monoterapia con litotricia extracorpórea por ondas de choque (LEOC), valorando su eficacia y la que otros métodos adyuvantes pueden tener para la resolución del cálculo en las distintas malformaciones renoureterales (MRU). MÉTODO: Se analizan 141 MRU con litiasis urinaria: renales 68, ureterales 69 y litiasis en derivaciones tipo Bricker 4, todas ellas diagnosticadas mediante urografía intravenosa (UIV) y tratadas mediante LEOC, comparándose con un grupo control de 125 pacientes con litiasis y morfología renoureteral normal, tratadas con el mismo procedimiento. RESULTADOS: Las malformaciones correspondieron a un 2,61 por ciento de la casuística global (5400 pacientes tratados en nuestra unidad en el periodo 1990-1998). El número medio de sesiones en el grupo de las malformaciones fue de 1,5 frente a 1,2 en el grupo control. En relación al resultado del tratamiento, en las malformaciones renales se obtuvo un resultado positivo inferior de forma significativa en relación al del grupo control (54 por ciento frente a 87,2 por ciento) y en el tratamiento de las malformaciones ureterales similar al mismo grupo control (87 por ciento frente al 75 por ciento). CONCLUSIONES: La LEOC puede ser la primera opción terapéutica para este tipo de litiasis en malformaciones renales, sin embargo en este grupo de pacientes debe realizarse una valoración individual de la vía excretora y de la dinámica del flujo urinario, así como del tamaño del cálculo, para elegir la mejor opción terapéutica. En las malformaciones ureterales pueden aplicarse criterios similares a los que se utilizan en una vía excretora normal (AU)

Efecto del citrato potásico en la profilaxis de la litiasis urinaria / Effect of potassium citrate in the prevention of urinary lithiasis

OBJETIVOS: Los efectos fisiológicos del citrato potásico sobre la solubilidad urinaria han propiciado su empleo en favorecer la expulsión de los fragmentos litiásicos tras tratamiento con litotricia. El objetivo de nuestro trabajo se basa en parte en este hecho, así como en la valoración de la eficacia del tratamiento a largo plazo con citrato potásico en la prevención de la recidiva litiásica de pacientes que han sido sometidos a litotricia extracorpórea con ondas de choque. MÉTODOS: Se ha realizado un estudio prospectivo sobre un grupo de 100 pacientes afectos de litiasis renal oxalo o fosfocálcica, que han sido sometidos a tratamiento con litotricia extracorpórea de ondas de choque (LEOC).Se establecen cuatro grupos de estudio: Pacientes que han quedado libres de litiasis tratados con citrato potásico (25 casos) o con dieta hídrica (25 casos) y pacientes en los que persiste litiasis residual tratados con citrato potásico (25 casos) o con dieta hídrica (25 casos). Según la evolución de la situación litiásica basal a lo largo del estudio, definimos los términos de: Estabilidad (no modificación de la situación basal post-litotricia, quede o no litiasis residual), Incremento (aumento en número o tamaño de la litiasis residual o recidiva litiásica) y Descenso (disminución en número o tamaño de la litiasis residual o su expulsión). RESULTADOS: De los 50 pacientes en tratamiento con citrato potásico, en 35 de ellos (70 por ciento) se mantuvo una situación de "estabilidad" de la situación litiásica similar a la previa al inicio del estudio, en 10 casos (20 por ciento) hubo un "descenso" y en 5 pacientes (10 por ciento) se produjo un "incremento". Entre los 50 pacientes con tan solo dieta hídrica, en 19 (38 por ciento) se produjo una "estabilidad" de la situación litiásica basal a lo largo del estudio, en 4 (8 por ciento) hubo un "descenso" y en 27 (54 por ciento) se produjo un "incremento" en el tamaño o número de los cálculos. El número de recidivas litiásicas a lo largo del estudio en los 100 pacientes ha sido de 25 (25 por ciento), de las que 8 se dieron en pacientes que tomaban citrato potásico y las 17 restantes en los no tratados. CONCLUSIONES: El uso del citrato potásico ha sido efectivo, de forma estadísticamente significativa, en el control de la evolución de la litiasis residual post-litotricia y de las recidivas litiásicas (AU)