A series of 1000 patients with calculi of the ureter at various levels were treated by ureteroscopy and lithotripsy over a period of 27 months. The overall success rate was 88.8%. Stones in the upper third of the ureter were removed in 15 of 39 patients. Calculi in the middle third were successfully removed in 52 of 102 patients. A success rate of 95.5% was achieved for calculi of the lower ureter. Per-operative complications included 10 ureteric perforations, 4 of which were treated surgically and 6 conservatively. Urography, performed in 520 patients 3 months post-operatively, showed 12 ureteric strictures; 9 of these were treated by insertion of a self-retaining pig-tail catheter and 3 required an operation. Ureterolithotripsy appears to be the method of choice in the management of ureteric calculi.

The influence of various prostatic manipulations, including digital rectal examination, cystoscopy, transrectal ultrasonography and transrectal needle biopsy, on the serum prostatic-specific antigen (PSA) levels in 170 men, were examined. We found that digital rectal examination, cystoscopy and transrectal ultrasonography had no significant effect on PSA levels, except for transrectal needle biopsy, which caused an immediate increase of serum PSA in 96.2% of the patients lasting more than 2 weeks in 42.3% of the cases. In conclusion, serum PSA determination after digital rectal examination, after cystoscopy and after transrectal ultrasonography is accurate and reliable. On the other hand, we must wait about 6 weeks after needle biopsy before measuring PSA in the serum of patients with prostatic diseases.

This report presents our initial experience in 36 patients with bladder stones, treated by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. Minute fragmentation and uncomplicated evacuation occurred in 26 patients (72%). Mean treatment duration was 55 minutes. Mean number of shock waves was 3600 and electrical discharge averaged 24 kV per shock wave. No morbidity, during or after treatment, was encountered in these patients. The treatment was performed without the use of anaesthesia on an outpatient basis.

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