Stone Clearance in Patients With Upper Ureteric Stones Using Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy Compared With Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy Combined With Tamsulosin Therapy

Stone Clearance in Patients With Upper Ureteric Stones Using Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy Compared With Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy Combined With Tamsulosin Therapy

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is the least invasive and effective treatment for upper ureteric stones with a stone clearance rate of 60-90%. Tamsulosin is an alpha-blocker widely used in urological practice to relax smooth muscle of the prostate and bladder neck. Its role as part of medical expulsion therapy for the treatment of patients with kidney and ureteric stones has proved to be of considerable success. However, its role in clearing upper ureteric stones as an adjunct to ESWL is controversial. Therefore, this study will be conducted to evaluate its role in stone clearance along with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in patients with upper ureteric stones

Inclusion Criteria:

• single upper ureteric stone
• size ranging from 6-15 mm
• stones history less than 6 months

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with urinary tract infection
• multiple ureteric stones,
• presence of a ureteric stricture distal to the stone,
• previous unsuccessful ESWL,
• concomitant use of calcium channel blockers or alpha-adrenergic antagonists
• patients with abnormal coagulation profile