The appropriate method for removal of stones from the kidney has remained a matter of debate ever since the introduction of extracorporeal Shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) in the mid 1980th. Great variations in stone-free rates reported in the literature together with instrument improvements are the main reasons for a current enthusiasm for, more invasive, endoscopic procedures [1, 2]. The main argument thereby has been that invasive methods result in a much lower risk of residual fragments and thus more efficiently can render the patients stone-free. In this regard special concern has been expressed for stones located in the lower pole of the kidney [3, 4]. The problem of residual fragments is discussed in this chapter.
展开▼
