Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy in single kidneys. Our experience

: Forty patients with renal lithiasis in single kidney were treated with extracorporeal shock wave lithotrity in our unit. Nine patients required emergency urinary by-pass, because of original picture of obstructive anuria, and in another 21 cases a double-J catheterism was conducted as prophylaxis prior to lithotrity. Treatment was carried out with analgesia and ambulatory, except for 10 patients with calculi of less than 10 mm where by-pass was not performed, and who were kept in preventive hospitalization for 24 hours. Average of sessions per patients was 1.59 (range 1-7). After 6 months follow-up there are 24 free renal units (60%), 12 (30%) with debris that can be expelled, failure in 4 (10%): 2 with debris that can be expelled and 2 which were not fragmented. Renal function has not deteriorated during follow-up, except for 2 patients with obstructive uropathy, that subsequently normalized following resolution of the condition. No significant differences were found in the treatment of calculi of less than 10 mm with or without double-J. ESWL is considered to be the choice approach for lithiasis in patients with one single kidney, due to is efficacy and low morbidity, safety in the ambulatory environment, even for calculi of less than 10 mm with no urinary by-pass.