The management of upper urinary tract calculi by piezoelectric extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in spinal cord injury patients

From May 1988 to September 1994, 15 spinal cord injury patients were treated by piezoelectric extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. Aged from 23 to 71 years (mean = 39), they presented with a total of 23 stones, of which 18 were located in the calyces, three in the renal pelvis and two in the proximal ureter. The maximum dimensions of calculi varied from 5 to 35 mm (mean = 11). Patients were placed in a dorsal decubitus position during the sessions, three being sedated with diazepam, while the other 12 remained unsedated. All were treated routinely with systemic antibiotics. Auxiliary procedures consisted of two pyelocalyceal flushings, three double J ureteral stenting and three ureteroscopies with fragment removal with a Dormia basket. No episode of autonomic dysreflexia was observed. Short term side effects were limited to a few cases of gross haematuria which regressed spontaneously. Overall, eight successes (53%), and seven failures (47%), were registered. Of the failures, one was the result of a partial fragmentation, while six were related to intrarenal retention of residual fragments resulting in four cases in rapid recurrences. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy can be easily applied to spinal cord injury patients. Its usefulness and limitations need to be well understood and a global consideration must be applied to the prevention and early detection of the upper urinary calculi in this exposed population of patients.