Removal of Asymptomatic Kidney Stones and Incidence of Relapse: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Ureterolithiasis is one of the most prevalent diseases in the world, among the surgical treatments, ureteroscopy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy may be chosen depending on the size of the stone. The aim of this study is to define whether endoscopic treatment for asymptomatic kidney stones reduces the cumulative relapse in patients undergoing ureteroscopy for symptomatic kidney stones. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar, Web of Science search retrieved 1182 articles, 2 of them were selected for meta-analysis (Figure 1). Results: This meta-analysis shows (Figure 2) that the difference in the cumulative relapse in the first 18 months is not statistically significant (OR 0.10, CI 0.01-1.45). Conclusion: Even though there seems to be a tendency of lower relapse in surgery for asymptomatic stones, there is a lack of evidence to support simultaneous RIRS for asymptomatic renal stones in patients with ureteroscopic symptomatic stone removal.