LONG-TERM STONE REGROWTH AND RECURRENCE RATES AFTER EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCK-WAVE LITHOTRIPSY

We reviewed 1055 patients with symptomatic urinary calculi treated by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) monotherapy to determine the long-term stone regrowth and recurrence rates as correlated with t he pre-treatment stone burden, site and multiplicity. Long-term follow -up (mean 75.8 months) was available in 94 patients, representing 106 renal units. The recurrence of stone was defined as reappearance of st one on follow-up plain abdominal radiographs. The regrowth of stone wa s defined as stone regrowing larger than one-third of the original res idual size. A stone-free rate of 53% was achieved. The overall stone r egrowth and recurrence rates were 26 and 15% respectively. It was conc luded that the stone recurrence rate after ESWL was not influenced sig nificantly by the stone size or the multiplicity, but that the regrowt h rate was. Stone recurrence and regrowth rates after ESWL were both i nfluenced by the stone location.