Diagnostic and therapeutic advantages of rigid uretroscopy: a retrospective study of 304 cases

Uretroscopy has become a common tool for the diagnosis and management of th e upper urinary tract. Between April 1994 and Decembre 1999, 304 ureterosco py procedures were performed. The most common therapeutic procedure was sto ne manipulation in 299 cases (distal ureter 259 cases, mid-ureter 23 cases, lumber ureter eight cases and staged in nine cases). Procedure was made by a rigid ureteroscope 8.5 Ch or 11.5 Ch. Dorinia was used in 175 cases (57. 5%) with or without fragmentation by ultrasound. Therapeutic ureteroscopy w as also used to remove a double-J stent that had migrated into the pelvic u reter in one case and in three cases of ureteral tumor. It was used in one case to confine the extrinsic compression of a ureteral stenosis, Median fo llow up was 12 months (6-36 months). The overall success rate was 87.6%, Re sults are comparable in men and women (P = 0.8). Success rate was 90% in si ngle lithiasis and 76.2% in case of numerous stones (P = 0.0094). There was a statistically significant difference in success rate between stones 15 m m or underin size (89% stone-free) and those 15mm (66% stone-free) or large r. In conclusion, rigid ureteroscopy is a minimally invasive and reliable t echnique for the management of ureteric calculi and for the diagnosis and t reatment of other ureteric lesion. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medic ales Elsevier SAS.