INTRACORPOREAL LITHOTRIPSY WITH THE SWISS LITHOCLAST

Objective To evaluate the use of the Swiss lithoclast in the managemen t of urinary calculi. Patients and methods Between January and Novembe r 1993, 60 patients with a total of 61 urinary calculi were treated wi th the Swiss lithoclast. Forty patients had a ureteric calculus, two h ad a ureterocele with a calculus, one a steinstrasse, 16 a vesical sto ne and two a urethral calculus. Eighty per cent of patients were treat ed on a day-care basis. Results Fragmentation of the urinary calculi w as successful in 59 of the 60 patients. Both patients with a urethral calculus and 15 of 16 with a vesical calculus were stone-free after th e procedure, All those with a ureteric calculus were stone-free at 6 w eeks. There were no intra-operative or long-term complications directl y related to the use of the Swiss lithoclast. Conclusion The results o f this study show that the Swiss lithoclast is a simple, safe, reliabl e and economical method of endoscopic lithotripsy for the treatment of urinary tract calculi. Although the lithoclast's use is limited to ri gid or semi-rigid endoscopes there is now a suction facility for the i mmediate removal of small stone fragments.