Although endoscopic
lithotripsy of
bladder stones has been well described and is widely practiced, comparison of the main modalities of mechanical, electrohydraulic, and
ultrasonic lithotripsy is lacking. The exact role of these and other modalities such as the Swiss Lithoclast and
extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy is not clearly defined. The safety and efficacy of the various
lithotripsy modalities available to treat
bladder calculi were reviewed retrospectively over an 18-year period. A total of 106 patients were treated with some form of intracorporeal
lithotripsy. In general, all devices proved to be effective with a low rate of complications. The addition of transurethral resection of the prostate to
bladder stone management under the same
anesthetic was also found to be a safe procedure for moderate
benign prostatic hyperplasia. In summary, transurethral endoscopic
lithotripsy is a safe and effective method of
bladder stone management both alone and in combination with
transurethral prostatectomy. All modalities of intracorporeal
lithotripsy are effective; however, devices such as ultrasound lithotripters or the Swiss Lithoclast that utilize larger, rigid probes may be more efficient for patients with large or particularly hard
vesical calculi.