EVALUATION OF TREATMENT OUTCOMES OF PROXIMAL URETERAL STONES USING ULTRASOUND - GUIDED PERCUTANEOUS ANTEGRADE URETEROLITHOTRIPSY

Abstract

Background: Percutaneous antegrade ureterolithotripsy (PAUL) is an effective minimally invasive approach for treating large upper ureteral stones, with reported stone-free rates (SFRs) ranging from 85% to 100%.

Objectives: To evaluate the outcomes of PAUL in the treatment of large proximal ureteral stones.

Methods: We conducted a prospective descriptive observational study on 31 patients who underwent PAUL for proximal ureteral stones at the Department of Urology, Hue Central Hospital, from January 2024 to June 2025.

Results: The mean age of patients was 53.6 ± 13.7 years (range: 25–77). The average cumulative stone size was 22.7 ± 7.3 mm (range: 13–38 mm). The stone access success rate was 96.7% (30/31 patients). The mean operative time was 59.6 ± 26.9 minutes. No significant intraoperative or postoperative complications were observed in the study. The immediate stone-free rate after surgery was 87.1%, which increased to 93.5% at one-month follow-up.

Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided percutaneous antegrade ureterolithotripsy is a potentially safe and affective technique for the treatment of large proximal ureteral stones.

Keywords: percutaneous antegrade ureterolithotripsy (PAUL); ultrasound; safe; affective