Is extracorporeal lithotripsy a first-line treatment for urinary stones today?

1727 patients are included. Stone mean size was 9,5 mm. 1540 (89.4%) patients presented reduction in stone size. In multivariate analysis, stone size (OR = 1.13; p = 0.00), ureteral location of the lithiasis (OR = 1.15; p = 0.052) and number of waves (p = 0.002; OR = 1.00) used in SWL are the factors associated with reduction of stone size. Additional treatment after lithotripsy was needed in 665 patients (38.5%). The factors associated with the need for retreatment were stone size (OR = 1.131; p = 0.000), number of waves (OR = 1.000; p = 0.000), energy (OR = 1.005; p = 0.000). 153 patients (8.8%) suffered complications after SWL. A statistically significant association was found between the size of the lithiasis (p = 0.024, OR = 1.054) and the previous urinary diversion (P = 0.004, OR = 0.571) CONCLUSION: Lithotripsy remains an effective treatment as the first line of therapy for reno-ureteral lithiasis with a low percentage of complications.