Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery vs Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy for Intermediate Size Inferior Pole Calculi: A Prospective Assessment of Objective and Subjective Outcomes

Objective To assess objective and subjective outcomes of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) for the treatment of intermediate size (1-2 cm) inferior calyceal (IC) stones in a prospective randomized fashion. Methods Between March 2011 and January 2013, 70 symptomatic adults who had isolated IC stone between 10 and 20 mm underwent RIRS or SWL by computer-generated pseudorandom assignment (1:1). Success rate, mean procedure time, hospital stay, pain score on day 1 and 2 using visual analog scale, analgesic requirement after discharge, complications, retreatment rate, auxiliary procedure, and patient-reported outcomes (using self-made nonvalidated questionnaire) were compared. Results Baseline parameters and mean stone size (SWL 16.45 ± 2.28 mm, RIRS 15.05 ± 3.56 mm; P = .0542) were comparable. Success rate was significantly higher after a single session of RIRS compared with 3 sessions of SWL (85% vs 54%; P = .008). Retreatment rate (65% vs 5.7%; P = .0001) and auxiliary procedure (45% vs 8%; P = .0009) were significantly higher in SWL. Pain score on postoperative day 1 and 2 was significantly higher in RIRS, but patients with SWL required significantly more analgesics afterward. Most of the complications were of Clavien grade I and/or II in both groups. Average time to return to normal activity and voiding symptoms were significantly higher in RIRS. Overall satisfaction score (2.17 ± 1.24 vs 2.82 ± 1.17; P = .026) was significantly higher in RIRS than SWL. Conclusion For the treatment of intermediate size IC calculi, RIRS is superior to SWL in terms of objective and subjective outcomes.