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Testosterone deficit syndrome is a clinical and biochemical syndrome associated with advanced age and characterized by some symptomsassociated with serum testosterone levels deficiency, which may result in a decrease of quality of life and negatively affect the function of multiple organs or systems. Clinical guidelines recommend testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in patients with testosterone decrease that associate muscle mass and strength loss, lumbar spinal column bone density decrease, or libido and erection decrease. Contraindications for treatment would include active prostate cancer or without treatment, PSA >4 ng/ml waiting for diagnostic workup, breast cancer, severe sleep apnea, infertility, hematocrit over 50% or severe lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hypertrophy. In certain situations there is still great controversy, without enough evidence to establish an action. References in case of patientstreated with brachytherapy or radiotherapy are unspecific: they only recommend caution in the treatment with TRT in these patients and strict monitoring of the possible recurrence. In our opinion, low-intermediate risk prostate cancer patients treated with radiotherapy only, without evidence of residual or recurrent disease, are candidates for TRT if symptoms justify it, leaving a free period of never less than one year after nadir (or 24 months after the end of therapy) which guarantees, on the possible means, the absence of biochemical or clinical recurrence,with strict follow up of clinical and biochemical usual parameters (hematocrit, hemoglobin, DRE, PSA).

We present our penile curvature treatment experience in Peyronie's disease and cogenital curvature, using a modificated plication technique of the tunica albuginea with Prolene inverted sutures covered with Vicryl ones. The first suture gives security to the plication and the second one hides the first dots avoiding the nonabsorbable sutures bother.

Objective: To compare patient preference for sildenafil citrate (sildenafil) vs. tadalafil and for their respective dosing instructions in a cohort of Spanish patients with erectile dysfunction (ED)., Material and Methods: Sixty four Spanish patients from a multicenter, two period, cross-over, double-blind study (265 patients enrolled in total) were randomized to receive on-demand sildenafil 50 mg or tadalafil 20 mg for 12 weeks and afterwards were crossed over to the alternate regimen for another 12 weeks to assess drug preference in an extension period of the study. Similarly, to evaluate preference for their respective dosing instructions, 30 patients were randomized to one of the 2 arms treated with tadalafil: one with sildenafil (S) dosing instructions and the other with tadalafil (T) dosing instructions., Results: Seventy percent of 56 patients completing the study chose to receive tadalafil treatment versus sildenafil treatment (30%) in the extension period (p<0.01). Correspondingly, 73% of 13 evaluating each drug dosing instructions preferred T dosing instructions (p>0.05). Preference did not vary with age, concomitant diseases and previous use of sildenafil., Conclusions: In this study, 7 out of 10 patients preferred tadalafil and its dosing instructions to sildenafil, for the treatment of their ED.

We performed an extensive bibliographic search, and review the alternatives for surgical treatment of varicocele, especially microsurgical techniques. The surgical techniques for varicocele have not suffered much variation over the last years, being their use generalized among urologists. The lower incidence of relapse and secondary hydrocele to lymphatic lesion make retroperitoneal techniques be used less frequently in favour of inguinal or subinguinal techniques, microsurgical or not. For better understanding of the surgical indications and development of techniques we offer some short anatomical and physiopathological comments about varicocele.

Traumatic rupture of the corpus cavernosum of the penis is rare, and has been reported infrequently. We present a case with this type of trauma, with immediate surgical management, with good morphologic and functional results.

Objective: To evaluate the results obtained with management by modified plication of the tunica albuginea in patients with congenital penile incurvation., Material and Methods: Between January 1992 and December 1996, a modified plication technique of the tunica albuginea was used to correct congenital and acquired penile incurvations; the procedure was performed in 27 cases of patients with congenital penile incurvation and 17 patients with de la Peyronie's disease. Mean age was 22.8 years (range 15-40 years), single ventral incurvation being the most frequent (51.8%) type. A modified technique of tunica albuginea plication was used., Results: Complete correction of the incurvation was achieved in all patients (100%), with a low rate of complications., Conclusions: Modified plication of the tunica albuginea is a simple and effective surgical technique to achieve correction of congenital penile incurvations.

Purpose: To review our series of 416 renal transplants, with special reference to the surgical complications and their management., Methods: From June, 1986 to October 1997, we are performed 416 heterotopic renal transplants, harvested from cadavers. Reconstruction of the urinary tract reconstruction was by ureteroneocystostomy in practically all the cases., Results: There were some urological complications in 80 patients (19.2%). The most common urological complication was obstruction of the urinary tract arising from stenosis (3.3%), lymphocele (4.3%) and clotting (1.2%). 78.1% of these urological complications were resolved by endourological techniques. Urinary fistula was observed in 12 cases (2.8%). Vascular complications in 22 (6.9%), lithiasis in 5 (1.2%), and eventrations in 11 (2.6%). The treatment of these complications is described. The actuarial survival rates were 87.8% and 77.3% at one and five years respectively for the graft, and 92.4% and 83.5% for the patients., Conclusions: Our surgical complication rate in patients undergoing renal transplantation was 19.2%. The most common complication was urinary tract obstruction from stenosis (3.3%), lymphocele (4.3%) and clotting (1.6%); 78.1% of these obstructive complications were resolved by endourologic techniques. Percutaneous drainage and esclerotherapy of the lymphoceles resolved 66.6% of them. Renal biopsy performed with a 14G needle caused 5 severe hemorrhagic complications. There were no complications when an 18G needle was utilized.

Intracavernous injection of vasodilators has been the greatest diagnostic and therapeutical breakthrough in erectile dysfunction (E.D.). After 15 years experience, these vasodilators have demonstrated efficacy rates over 85%. This suggests that most cases of E.D. are the result of and inability of the smooth muscle to relax. This paper presents an overview of the diagnostic and therapeutic use of intracavernous vasodilating drugs. It includes an extensive review of the literature and our personal series with regard to efficacy, indications, contraindications and side-effects of these compounds. Alprostadil i.c. injection (PGE1) is an effective (> 70%) and safe treatment, and its use has been accompanied by an increased quality of life of patients, with very few side effects. Currently, PGE1 is a first choice drug in the treatment of impotence. When no response is seen, or pain develops after PGE1 administration, a number of vasoactive compounds associations can be used instead (phentolamine + PGE1, papaverine + phentolamine, and papaverine + phentolamine + PGE1). The phentolamine + VIP association has shown encouraging results. Prior to prescribe IC treatment with vasoactive drugs it is necessary to conduct a basic diagnostic study, and advise the patient. If treatment is finally accepted, the performance of adequate training and detailed medical follow-up is crucial.

Erectile dysfunction is one of the most common sequela from radical prostatectomy. The authors evaluate the incidence of erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy, study the likely causative vascular mechanisms and assess the efficacy of the treatments employed. Two hundred and four (204) radical prostatectomies were analyzed. 163 (80%) patients referred adequate erections prior to surgery. In 82 cases, surgery was performed with the intention of preserving one or both bands. For the remaining cases, radical surgery with exeresis of both bands was performed. Due to secondary erectile dysfunction, 75 patients were studied by preparing: clinical history, laboratory tests, penile neurophysiological studies and intracavernous prostaglandin E1 injection test. Dynamic drug-cavernosmetry was performed in 36 patients. After radical prostatectomy, only 9.2% previously potent patients retained adequate erections. Of the 82 cases where preservation of one or both bands was attempted, 9 (11%) patients retained their erections. Changes in neurophysiological parameters were found in 69.2% cases and general vascular injury detected in 23 (63.8%) patients by drug-cavernosmetry, the main injuries being cavernous arteries insufficiency in 58.3% and veno-occlusive failure in 33.3%. Of the 75 patients studied, 48 accepted the treatment: 40 (81.6%) used intracavernous auto-injection, 8 had penile prosthesis inserted, and one patient uses a vacuum device. Intracavernous Pg E1 auto-injection has provided adequate stiffness in 95% patients and, at 6 months from onset of treatment, a decrease of the minimal effective dose has been seen which is more noticeable in men under 60 and patients who start treatment within 6 months.

Objective: Radical prostatectomy (RP) is an elective therapeutical procedure for localized prostate cancer. The paper describes the critical analysis of our 10-year series., Material and Methods: A total of 216 RP have been performed between June 1986 and December 1996 (60 of them in the last year); with the purpose of securing a minimum follow-up of 4 months, the 204 procedures performed up to October 1996 were studied. Mean age was 64.9 years and PSA median 10.8 ng/ml. Intraglandular clinical stage was found in 192 cases versus 12 cases extraglandular. Up to the end of 1993 Walsh's technique with erectors' preservation was being used although the poor results obtained with regard to potency as well as the existence of positive borders have compelled us to perform the standard extracapsular technique since beginning of 1994., Results: Mean follow-up in our series has been 29.62 months. Post-operative complications reached 29.9%, anastomosis fistula (21 cases) among the early ones and anastomosis stenosis (16 cases) among the late ones. 82.04% patients have total continence or minimal incontinence, the percentage of obstruction being 3.58%. Total impotence is estimated at 92.77%. One patient (0.49%) died in the immediate post-operative. Understaging was observed in 36.7%. 84 patients had extracapsular disease. Our percentage of positive surgical borders is of around 43.13%. Progression has been seen in 47 of 204 patients (23.03%): 8 local relapses, 12 metastasis, 3 with both conditions and 24 biological progression. Progression has been related to pathological stage, pre-operative PSA and Gleason's sum of the specimen. Difference was statistically significant. Overall survival at 1 and 5 years is 99.2% and 95.5% respectively while tumour specific survival is 97.8% and 75.8% at 1 and 5 years., Conclusions: RP is a surgery with minimal mortality but noticeable morbidity (incontinence 14.35%; impotence 92.77%; other complications from surgical technique 29.9%). Our clinical understaging is of around 36.7%. Progression is related to the specimen's pathological stage, and pre-operative PSA and Gleason. Our overall survival at 1 and 5 years is 99.2% and 95.5% respectively while tumour specific survival is 97.8% and 75.8%.

Objectives: The present study investigated the somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) from the dorsal penile nerve and the bulbocavernosus reflex (BCR) in healthy volunteers and patients with erectile dysfunction in order to establish a model of normality and investigate the abnormal neuro-urophysiological measurements in patients with erectile dysfunction and their relationship with different factors (age, neurological disease)., Methods: 30 healthy volunteers and 102 patients who had consulted for erectile dysfunction underwent neuro-urophysiological diagnostic evaluation (dorsal penile nerve SSEP and BCR). The mean age was 51.2 years (range 27 to 66)., Results: The group of healthy volunteers showed SSEP mean latency of 46.374 ms and a BCR mean latency of 43.721 ms. Thirty-four patients (33.33%) had at least one abnormal neuro-urophysiological measurement, the SSEP were abnormal in 7 (20.58%), the BCR in 5 (14.70%) and both in 22 (64.70%). We found an increased SSEP latency and BCR latency in the patients with erectile dysfunction and with no urological disease. Comparison of the older with the younger patients was only statistically significant for increased BCR latency in patients > 60 years old., Conclusions: The study revealed neuro-urophysiological abnormalities in 34 impotent patients (33.33%). The finding of abnormalities in both BCR and SSEP was the most frequent.

Presentation of a case reporting an infrequent association of transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract (UUT) with a long-standing renal polylithiasis and multifocal metastasis in contralateral kidney. A description is made of the incidence, etiology, prognostic factors as well as diagnosis and therapeutical approach.

Objectives: To review our series of 300 renal transplants, with special reference to the surgical complications and their management., Methods: From June, 1986 to August, 1995, we performed 300 heterotopic renal transplants harvested from cadavers. Reconstruction of the urinary tract was by ureteroneocystostomy in practically all of the cases., Results: The overall surgical complication rate was 20.3%. The graft was lost in 2 cases (0.66%). The most common urological complication was obstruction of the urinary tract arising from stenosis (3.6%), lymphocele (5.3%) and clotting (1.6%); 78.1% of these obstructive complications were resolved by endourological techniques. Urinary fistula was observed in 9 cases (3%) and lymphocele in 16 (5.3%), which were resolved by percutaneous drainage and sclerotherapy in 81.2% of the cases. Vascular complications were observed in 14 cases (4.6%), lithiasis in 5 (1.66%) and eventration in 6 (2%). The treatment of these complications are described. The actuarial graft and patient survival rates were 90.9% and 84.7% at one and five years, respectively, for the graft and 93.5% and 89% for the patients., Conclusions: Our surgical complication rate in patients undergoing renal transplantation was 20.3%. The most common complication was urinary tract obstruction from stenosis (3.6%), lymphocele (5.3%) and clotting (1.6%); 78.1% of these obstructive complications were resolved by endourological techniques. Percutaneous drainage of the lymphocele combined with sclerotherapy achieved resolution in 81.2%. Renal biopsy performed with a 14 G needle caused 5 severe hemorrhagic complications. There were no complications when an 18 G needle was utilized.

Objectives: To evaluate the long-term results of treatment of erectile dysfunction with intracavernous self-injection of vasoactive drugs., Methods: The study comprised 144 patients treated with intracavernous self-injection. The most common etiologies were arterial (27%), corporal-veno-occlusive (22.2%) and diabetic (17.5%). The mean follow up was 15.6 months (range 12-44) and the total number of injections was 7,190. PGE1 was utilized in 135 patients and papaverine + PGE1 in 9 patients., Results: Patients with psychogenic or neurogenic impotence responded to low doses of PGE1 (9.6 microgram and 8.4 microgram, respectively). Adequate rigidity was achieved in 96% for over 30 min in 90%, and coitus was satisfactory in 92%. There were 20 (13.9%) dropouts and 5 (3.5%) recovered erection. The most important local complications were intense pain (4 pts, 0.05%), prolonged erection (3 pts, 0.04%) and secondary fibrosis without penile curvature (3 pts, 2.1%). Systemic complications were observed in only 4 cases: palpitation (1 pt), headache (1 pt) and dizziness (2 pts)., Conclusions: Patients with psychogenic and neurogenic impotence responded to low dose therapy, whereas those with veno-occlusive impotence required the highest doses of PGE1 or papaverine + PGE1. This pharmacological erection program achieved adequate rigidity in 96% and satisfactory coitus in 92%. There were minimal complications: prolonged erection (0.04%), intense pain (0.05%) and fibrosis (2.1%).

We report a case of matrix stone in a patient with a previous history of infective staghorn stone for which the patient had previously undergone surgery to reduce stone volume and ESWL. The ureteral matrix stone had caused purulent intrarenal retention. Puncture nephrostomy and antibiotics resolved the foregoing condition and the calculus was successfully removed by ureteroscopy. The features of this uncommon disorder and the possibilities of endoscopic treatment are discussed.

The diagnosis of the accessory spleen, if unsuspected, is basically anatomopathological due to its frequency and, above all, its nonspecific clinical features. We report a case of a retroperitoneal mass that was shown to be composed of accessory splenic tissue.

Since the late 1980s, different reservoirs and bladder substitution techniques have been added to the urological surgical armamentarium. The necessary use of an intestinal segment--generally detubularized--make these surgical procedures complicated and time-consuming. Furthermore, problems are encountered postoperatively due to the important morbidity arising from these procedures. The present article describes our experience with mechanical sutures and resorbable material. Although the results have not been analyzed, our initial experience at the Miguel Servet Hospital has shown that these devices significantly facilitate the operative procedure, thereby reducing the incidence of urinary and intestinal fistulas. Although there is an evident risk of calculi formation, complicated solutions are not required and the biological tolerance to the metal sutures is excellent.

The ectopic ureter opening to the seminal vesicle is uncommon in the male and even less in a duplex kidney. It commonly presents as recurrent urinary infection with pelviperineal pain. Treatment is by heminephrectomy with total ureterectomy and removal of the seminal vesicle if it is cystic. Herein we describe a 70-year-old patient who had previously undergone a heminephrectomy and partial ureterectomy due to an ectopic ureter opening to the seminal vesicle of the ureter of the upper pelvis of the left kidney. The patient was submitted to a second ureterectomy procedure due to pyoureter in the ureteral stump. The main features of this pathological condition are described and the surgical approach is discussed.

Analysis of results and complications of retrograde rigid ureterorenoscopies (URS) performed in our unit between August 1985 and June 1990. Our series includes 122 URS performed in 106 patients: 68% female and 32% male. A rigid ureteroscopy Storz 11.5 Ch was used. URS indications were: 72% treatment of ureteral lithiasis, 14% diagnosis, 7% treatment of ureteral tumores and 3% other reasons. Treated lithiasis were predominantly located in the pelvic ureter. Overall success in the treatment of lithiasis was 92.86% in "primary" lithiasis, and 71.43% in post-ESWL. URS allowed us to resolve troubles of differential diagnosis in 93.75% of cases. With a complications rate of 19.7%, only 3.28% were considered relevant.

Report of our experience of complications arisen from treatment of urinary lithiasis with extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy, using a Dornier HM3 lithotripter in 218 elderly patients (over 65 years). No complications arose during lithotripsy in 160 patients (73.39%). Most frequent complications (when they happened) were skin disorders, which occurred in 33 patients (15.13%). One hundred and thirty-six (62.38%) patients had no post-lithotripsy non-obstructive urological complications, but when these occurred, renal colic, evident in 52 patients (23.85%), was the most frequent one. During the post-lithotripsy period, 88.53% patients (193) had no obstructive urological complications. When they emerged, they usually developed asymptomatically (13 patients, 5.95%). With regard to the approach used to treat the obstructive cases, the most common one was medical, representing 56%. Surgery was used only in 2 occasions. A total of 175 patients (80.27%) presented no post-lithotripsy complication, fever of up to + 38 degrees C being the most prevalent condition (9.65%).

With the description of this new case of urachal adenocarcinoma in the vesical cupula we provide a review on the clinical, pathological and immunohistochemical aspects of this rare tumour, as well as a diagnostic and therapeutical approach. Its subepithelial infiltrant nature delays discovery and denotes both an insidious evolution and poor prognosis. Mucinoid production, nodes pattern and certain immunohistochemical substances as well as abnormalities in the cell's DNA content are attributes of this entity. Only surgery, either partial or exeresis, is effective since this is a radioresistant and dubiously chemosensitive tumour.

We present a case of incoercible hemorrhagic cystitis provoked by the therapeutic association of systemic cyclophosphamide and pelvic radiotherapy in a woman with disseminated mammary carcinoma disease. The conservative treatment, including vesical irrigation with aluminum salts, did not succeed in stopping the bleeding. A "sauvatage" cystectomy was carried out with Bricher-Wallace II type urinary derivation. We conclude by pointing out how the simultaneity of two therapies with individual vesical toxicity risk were boosted and how cystectomy continues to be the definitive treatment once conservative measures have been used up.

We present a case of malignant Schwannoma (MS) of uncommon, retroperitoneal and retrovesical localization in a 42-year-old male, which provoked bilateral ureteral obstruction as a urological manifestation. We show our therapeutic strategy by means of a schedule of systemic neoadjuvant chemotherapy with vincristine, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, decarbacine combined with exeresis and urinary continuity reconstruction surgery. We point out that it is a low incidence but highly aggressive tumour and that treatment continues to be local radical excision, whilst chemotherapy probably continues to have little value.

We present a case of renal angiomyolipoma associated with tuberous sclerosis affecting the regional lymphatic ganglia. We analyse the possible etiopathogenesis of this affection and conclude, like most authors, that it may reflect the multifocalization of this tumour rather than malignity or metastatic lesion.

The ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) is the most common site of upper urinary tract obstruction. We report on 46 adult patients (50 renal units) that had been treated for a UPJ anomaly at our department over a 10-year period. The most common clinical manifestations observed were lumbar pain and/or colic (82.6%) and infection (34.8%). Genitourinary malformations were observed in 21.8% of the patients. The following treatment modalities were performed: 8 nephrectomies, 39 repair surgery procedures, 3 renal units with mild dilatation and no obstruction did not undergo surgery and were closely followed. The Anderson-Hynes pyeloplasty procedure was performed in 37 (95%) renal units and the Foley Y-V plasty in 2 (5%). The most important complications were anastomotic stricture (4) and urinary fistula (2). Overall, the results of repair surgery were good in 69.2%, fair in 20.5% and poor in 10.3% of the cases. Better results were achieved in those cases with moderate (86% good results) than in those with severe (47% good results) dilatation. Following pyeloplasty, 95% of the patients were pain-free, 1 (2.3%) patient had episodes of symptomatic infection and deterioration of renal function was observed in only 1 patient with a single kidney and severe chronic renal failure prior to surgery. At 2 years, dilatation had improved in 64%, remained unchanged in 31%, and became worse in 5%. In the management of pyelocaliceal dilatation, we believe it is fundamental to clearly establish the presence of obstruction and predict the functional recovery of the obstructed kidney. Our diagnostic and therapeutic approach is described. For upper urinary tract dilatation, the following is performed: simple or diuresis IVP, diuresis renography, ultrasonography and CUMS (if reflux is suspected). When doubts exist or when the results are unclear, pressure flow urodynamic studies are performed. Thus, we perform repair surgery in dilatations with functional obstruction to avoid progressive renal deterioration. The literature on the diagnostic techniques for the assessment of obstruction and functional recovery is reviewed.

We report our early results in the treatment of nonmetastatic prostate cancer (stages A, B, C) by radical surgery. All but two patients classified as stage A1 received adjuvant treatment with hormone blockade using LH-RH analogues and an antiandrogen for a period of two to six months. A favorable local response was observed in almost all patients. Adjuvant therapy achieved reduction of prostate size and most of the cases could be staged down from the initial clinical staging to fall within the indication of radical surgery, including stage C2 tumors reclassified as local tumor stage C1 or lower. Staging lymphadenectomy prior to radical prostatectomy revealed multiple lymph node involvement in 3 patients who were consequently not submitted to radical surgery. In the remaining 14 cases, definitive postsurgical staging revealed minimum invasion of the capsule without seminal vesicle involvement (stage C1) in only two cases with A2 and B2 tumor in the initial staging. There were no operative deaths and morbidity was scant. Some modifications aimed at enhancing exposure of the surgical field and thereby reducing complications are described. Although a longer patient follow-up is warranted, to date all patients are alive and no local recurrence or distant metastases have been observed.

We report on a 25-year-old patient diagnosed as having Bourneville tuberous sclerosis with a giant angiomyolipoma 16 X 12 cm. in diameter, and two small angiomyolipomas in the left kidney, multiple asymptomatic angiomas in the right kidney and two 1 cm. diameter angiomas in the liver. The presenting features were intense left-sided abdominal pain of sudden onset, frank hematuria, acute anemic syndrome, nausea and vomiting. Patient work up included x-ray of chest, abdomen, and skull, bilateral renal arteriography and ultrasound were diagnostic of Bourneville tuberous sclerosis with multiple bilateral renal angiomyolipomas. The hematologic and hemodynamic compromise and the almost completely absent intact parenchyma in her left kidney did not permit a conservative surgical procedure and the patient was submitted to a left nephrectomy. The patient had the following characteristic features of Bourneville's disease: epilepsy, intracranial calcifications on CT, sebaceous adenomas on face, fibromas under nails of left hand and foot, bony lesions in the form osteosclerosis and chylous pleural effusion. Her intelligence level was normal and no optic nerve phakomas were observed. The literature on angiomyolipoma and Bourneville's tuberous sclerosis is reviewed. The importance of using ultrasound and CT in combination to diagnose and follow up renal angiomyolipomas is highlighted. Treatment of angiomyolipomas must be based on two parameters: symptoms and size. Symptomatic angiomyolipomas warrant angiographic work up and selective arterial embolization or the most conservative surgical procedure possible (enucleation, partial nephrectomy). Asymptomatic angiomyolipomas warrant CT and/or ultrasound examination every 6 or 12 months depending on size.

A case is presented of spontaneous rupture of a double-J catheter in a 61-year-old patient suffering from carcinoma of the prostate gland with urethral entrapment. The patient did not attend visits for periodical catheter changes, suffering the rupture of the catheter in two occasions remaining under those conditions for 20 and 18 months respectively. Removal of the fragments and placing of a new double Pit-Tail, required in both occasions a combination of cystoscopic and percutaneous maneuvers.

In recent years, there has been a complete change in the treatment of reno-ureteral lithiasis due to the availability of new endourological techniques (percutaneous nephrolithotomy, ureteroscopy) and particularly due to the development of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). The present study assessed the combination of endourological procedures and ESWL in the treatment of calculi localized in the kidney and lumbar ureter. A prospective study was undertaken to assess 1,500 renal units with calculi in the renal cavity and lumbar ureter that had been submitted to treatment by ESWL and endourological techniques. The results demonstrate that ESWL combined with percutaneous and endoscopic techniques affords effective treatment without major complications in 85.4% of calculi in the renal cavity and lumbar ureter. Treatment with ESWL as monotherapy was successful in 45.6% of the cases and endourological management prior to ESWL was successful in 39.8% of the cases. The most common complication of ESWL was colic and/or kidney referred discomfort (28.6%) and the most important complication was urinary tract obstruction following ESWL (9.67%). These required maneuvers to remove post-ESWL obstruction in 6.1% of the renal units treated. The number of shock waves employed and the kV utilized were associated to intense hematuria and perirenal hematoma. The combination of endourological techniques with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy completely eliminated calculi in 80.5% of the renal units at 3 months. 10.5% had remaining stone fragments that could be spontaneously passed, and 7.6% had larger residual fragments that could not be passed.

Stone mass is a fundamental parameter that determines the approach to reno-ureteral lithiasis. Reference to stone size based on a single diameter gives us an imprecise idea about stone volume. For this reason, we recommend using the term "stone surface" to express stone mass. Stone surface is obtained by multiplying the longitudinal by the transversal diameter expressed in millimeters, using the plain film for radiopaque and the urogram for radiolucent calculi. Stone surface is a parameter which can be determined easily and is a more reliable way to determine stone volume. In 1,500 renal units with reno-ureteral calculi treated by ESWL and percutaneous techniques, we corroborated that the surface of calculus is directly associated with the number of shock waves required for fragmentation. Thus, as stone surface increases, more shock waves will be required to achieve fragmentation. The surface area of the calculus correlates very significatively with urinary tract obstruction post-ESWL. As the surface of the fragmented stone increases, there exists a higher incidence of obstruction. Obstruction is more severe and more ancillary maneuvers to remove obstruction are warranted. The incidence of renal colic post-ESWL is significantly influenced by the surface area of the calculus. There is a higher incidence of reno-ureteral colic following fragmentation of large stones. Furthermore, stone surface significantly determines the rate at which fragments are passed, and the persistence of stone sand at 3 months. Thus, as stone surface increases, there will be more fragments that can and cannot be spontaneously passed following treatment with ESWL. Finally, it must be emphasized that stone surface is a fundamental parameter that determines the combination of ancillary techniques prior to ESWL and significantly influences the efficacy of the approach in the treatment of reno-ureteral calculi.