Nonstent or noncatheter extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy for ureteral stones.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if a ureteral stent or catheter was necessary to achieve satisfactory results with extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for a stone in the ureter. METHOD: A retrospective review of 1,712 single ureteral stones treated in the ureter by ESWL using Dornier HM3 and Medstone STS lithotriptors was performed, 1,425 with a stent and 287 without a stent (in situ). Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test to determine the p value. RESULTS: The stone site, size, and treatment parameters (average shocks, kV, and estimated radiation to the patient) were similar in both groups. The retreatment rate, post-ESWL secondary procedure rate, and stone-free rate were 5 percent, 5 percent, and 79 percent, respectively, with a stent and 6 percent, 9 percent, and 79 percent, respectively, without a stent. CONCLUSION: The results of ESWL for single ureteral stones were similar with or without a stent, making the presence of a ureteral stent unnecessary.