Long-Term Results of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy, Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy and Open Surgery for Upper Urinary Tract Stone

By the early 1980s percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) had gained favour over open surgery. In particular, ESWL has become the operation of choice in the management of renal stones. The indications for ESWL have been extended to include the treatment of almost all renal stones1. It has also been claimed that ESWL in combination with PCNL should be the standard treatment of large volume staghorn stones2. The short term results of new techniques compare favourably with the operative series3-6. In contrast, there have been few investigations to determine the frequency of long term recurrences after ESWL and/or PCNL7-9. The incidence of late recurrence of stone following extracorporeal, endourological and open treatment is described and discussed.