The work experience of the Central Military Aviation Research Hospital in the occupational rehabilitation of flight personnel after lithotripsy

: The evolution of the domestic-certified lithotriptors has made a complete professional rehabilitation of all pilots (100%) suffered from urolithiasis without operative intervention possible. Of 156 pilots who have been exposed to remote shock-wave lithotripsy (RSWL) in recent three years 120 individuals (93%) had the urate stones in the renal calyces. Before introducing the RSWL in clinical practice such concrement were recognized as inoperable and the urolithic pilots have no prospects for continuation of their flying activities. After the RSWL application there was a decrease in the secretory-excretory renal function due to the disturbed urodynamics by the migratory fragments of crushed stones in the renal system. The recovery of renal function occurred after complete passage of the crushed stone fragments. Depending on the composition of a crushed concrement, severity of inflammatory process taking place in the kidneys and urinary tracts, the special program of countermeasures to prevent relapsed lithogenesis was recommended for use by the patients. The relapse of renal stone formation after RSWL application was noted in 4 (3.2%) pilots. In these pilots, the concrements were recrushed by the mentioned method and professional qualification of above individuals was retained. Until recently, the treatment of cholelithic disease was recognized as a purely surgical problem--with the introduction of RSWL of renal stone into clinical practice there appeared real possibility to apply the similar approach to crushing the gallstones. To attain these ends, the experimental studies with the use of lithotriptor "URAT-P" have been performed. 140 gallstones of 0.5 to 2.0 cm in size were crushed. The parameters of shock waves are determined.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)