[Prognosis of ureteral dilatation during procedures using a ureteral access sheath in patients with urolithiasis].

AIM: To improve the results of treatment of patients with urolithiasis who underwent endoscopic interventions using a ureteral access sheath (UAS) by developing a predictive model of ureteral dilatation without pre-stenting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 180 patients with kidney stones up to 20 mm were included in the study. They were divided into two groups: in the group 1 (n=79) UAS of 12/14 Ch was used, while in group II (n=101) UAS of 10/12 Ch was inserted. In group I, 48 (60.8%) patients underwent micropercutaneous nephrolithotomy and in 31 (39.2%) retrograde intrarenal surgery was done, compared to 42 (41.6%) and 59 (58, 4%) of patients in group 2. A non-inclusion criterion was a history of ureteral stenting. At the stage of preoperative diagnosis, 60 minutes before the X-ray examination, the patient took a single dose of 80 mg of furosemide per os to improve visualization of the upper urinary tract. After digital processing of computed tomography data and 3D-reconstruction of the upper urinary tract using the DICOM image processing program "RadiAnt DICOM Viewer," a visual assessment of the ureter was carried out to exclude significant deviations and strictures. The ureteral width was measured at three points: pyeloureteral segment, the level of the iliac bifurcation and intramural part. The number of cases of successful insertion of UAS and the rate of damage to the ureteral wall according to the classification proposed by O. Traxer and A. Thomas (2012) were analyzed. The prediction of successful insertion of a UAS was carried out using ROC analysis. RESULTS: In group 1, successful insertion of UAS was observed in 37 (46.8%) patients compared to 84 (83.2%) patients in group 2. In the remaining 42 (53.2%) and 17 (16.8%) cases, respectively, placement of UAS was not possible due to significant tissue resistance and high risk of traumatic injury. The average ureteral diameter at the points of physiological narrowing in patients with successful insertion of 12/14 Ch UAS were 2.0+/-0.1 mm, compared to 1.2+/-0.4 mm in those with failed insertion (p<0.05). In the group 2, similar indicators were 1.6+/-0.1 mm and 1.2+/-0.5 mm, respectively (p<0.05). According to ROC analysis, the diagnostic efficiency of the predictive model when using 12/14 Ch and 10/12 Ch UAS was confirmed by high AUC values (0.925 [95% CI 0.871-0.98] and 0.944 [95% CI 0.89=0.97], respectively). The total number of patients with ureteral injuries was 35 (44.3%) and 40 (39.6%) in groups with 12/14 Ch and 10/12 Ch UAS, respectively. At the same time, complications of the I degree were observed in 24 (30.4%) patients of the group 1 and in 31 (30.7%) patients of the group 2, while injuries of II degree were detected in 10 (12.7%) and 9 (8.9%) cases, respectively (p>0.05). Only in 1 (1.3%) patient, when 12/14 Ch UAS was inserted, grade III damage to the ureteral wall was determined. CONCLUSION: The proposed technique for measuring the cross-section of the ureter allows to predict the successful insertion of UAS at the preoperative stage. The probability of successful passage of UAS of 10/12 and 12/14 Ch in patients with ureteral diameter in physiological narrowings of more than 1.6 mm and 2 mm, respectively, is 95%. An insertion of UAS is a safe procedure, and most complications are classified as grades I or II.

[Prevention of urolithiasis using febuxostat in patients with metabolic syndrome].

INTRODUCTION: Urolithiasis is a chronic highly recurrent disease. The development of new methods of its pathogenetic treatment and prevention is a priority task of practical urology. AIM: To evaluate the clinical efficiency and safety of Febuxostat-SZ and to develop the rec-ommendations for its use in patients with uric acid stones. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The analysis of 525 patients with urolithiasis was carried out. On the basis of a comprehensive examination, they were divided into two groups: in the group 1, pa-tients (n=231) had urolithiasis and metabolic syndrome, while in the group 2 (n=294), only urolithia-sis was diagnosed without metabolic syndrome. In both groups, depending on the stone composi-tion, in addition to general measures, specific stone prevention was carried out, which included die-tary regimen and drug therapy. RESULTS: Uric acid excretion after 6 months of therapy in patients with urolithiasis and meta-bolic syndrome decreased from 9.8+/-1.8 to 3.9+/-1.1 mmol/l, urinary excretion of citrates and urine acidity increased from 0.8 +/-0.6 to 2.5+/-0.8 mmol/l and from 5.4+/-0.5 to 6.3+/-0.5, respectively, while serum uric acid level decreased from 451.4+/-15.1 up to 385.2+/-16.2 mmol/l. In the group of patients who, in addition to prescribing stone prevention, underwent correction of the metabolic syndrome, uric acid excretion after 3 months decreased by half: from 9.7+/-1.9 to 5.0+/-1.2 mmol/l, urine pH and citrate excretion increased from 5.4+/-0.4 to 6.3+/-0.5 and from 0.8+/-0.5 to 2.3+/-1.0 mmol/l, respective-ly, while serum uric acid level decreased from 459.5+/-17.7 to 370.9+/-15.1 mmol/l after 6 months of treatment. CONCLUSION: The use of Febuxostat-SZ in the complex therapy of urinary stone disease showed high efficiency in normalizing urine acidity, the level of daily excretion and serum uric acid level, as well as satisfactory tolerability and a minimal profile of side effects.

[Learning curve of percutaneous nephrolithotripsy: how to achieve perfection?]

PURPOSE: to determine the characteristics of the surgeon training curve in the development of percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PN). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The first 125 PNs performed by one team of surgeons were investigated. In chronological order, five groups of 25 operations were formed. The assessment was carried out according to the following parameters: the duration of the operation; the number of perioperative complications; stone free rate (SFR). RESULTS: With the advanced training of the surgical team, the duration of the operation tended to decrease; after 50 PN the time decreased from 164+/-12 to 113+/-11 minutes. The duration of the next 50 PN conducted in the third and fourth groups remained unchanged - 105+/-10 and 103+/-12 minutes. In the fifth group, a decrease in time to 99+/-9 minutes had no significant differences with the third and fourth groups. The frequency of complications tended to decrease up to the 75th operation, followed by a plateau. The structure was dominated by complications related, according to the modified Clavien-Dindo classification, to Grade I and Grade II. With the accumulation of surgeons experience, there was a tendency towards an increase in SFR: in the 1st group - 72%, in 2 - 84%, in 3 and 4 - 88%, in 5 - 92% (p<0,05). CONCLUSIONS: in order to achieve the average indicators of the duration and effectiveness of PN, the surgical team must have experience of at least 50 such operations. Due to the long training process, it is advisable to use PN in organization with an estimated number of such operations of at least 30 per year.

[Quality of life of urological patients].

Achieving a high quality of life for patients is a paradigm of modern medicine. The doctrine of the quality of life, originated in the 60s of the twentieth century, is currently actively developing in all fields of medicine, including urology. This article reviews the history, terminology, and methods of studying the quality of life. Along with the general questionnaires, disease specific quality of life instruments are gradually emerging in the standards of examination and follow-up of urological patients.