• Ali Zolfaghari, Ali Ghadirpour, Mohamad Kazem Tarzamni, Mohammad Goldust, Mir Reza Ghemi Mirabad, and Nariman Nezami.
• Department of Urology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
• Ren Fail. 2013 Jan 1; 35 (5): 686-90.

ObjectivesExtracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is mainly an alternative for other therapeutic methods such as surgery and endourology to treat urinary tract calculus. Although it is safe and effective, it has undesirable effects on renal function. Diagnostic techniques such as color Doppler ultrasonography create a new attitude toward renal function. The aim of this study was to evaluate renal vascular resistance change before and after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.MethodsDuring the present study, vascular resistive index (RI) of renal intralobar artery was measured before, 30 min, and 1 week after ESWL using Doppler ultrasonography.ResultsThirty minutes after ESWL, RI was significantly increased from primary value of 0.62 ± 0.05 to 0.66 ± 0.06 (p = 0.0001). There was no correlation between increase of RI and patients' age. Following up the patients revealed that mean RI did not return to pretreatment level after 1 week (p < 0.05). The RI level in the old patients (3 patients who were 60 years or older) was higher than that of the younger ones (19 patients who were younger than 60 years) after 1 week (0.76 ± 0.05 vs. 0.64 ± 0.06). There was no meaningful relationship between ESWL voltage or number of shocks and RI variation before and after ESWL.ConclusionFollowing ESWL, patients are at risk of renal tissue damage due to increase of primary RI level. Measuring RI variations using ultrasound techniques after ESWL may provide helpful information to clinical detection of renal tissue damage.

19 keywords...

hide…