Factors effecting the success of retrograde intrarenal surgery in pediatric patients with renal stones: The experience of two tertiary centres with 368 renal units.

Currently, in the field of pediatric urology, the primary aim of surgical approaches for the treatment of renal stone disease is to provide a stoneless state through minimally invasive methods, and to prevent the damage that such stones may cause in the urinary system and stone recurrence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RIRS and the factors affecting its success in the surgical treatment of renal stones in pediatric patients. Data from 357 pediatric and 368 renal units were collected retrospectively. The recorded parameters were age, gender, location and burden of the stone, and presence of postoperative residual stones. The stone location was the upper pole in 28 (7.6 %) patients, the middle pole in 44 (12 %), the pelvis in 98 (26.6 %), the lower pole in 139 (37.8 %), and multiple locations in 59 (16 %) patients. A stoneless state was achieved in 277 (75.3 %) units, while 91 units (24.7 %) had residual stones at the end of the first month. In the multivariate analysis, the development of residual stones was found to be significantly associated with age (odds ratio [OR], 1.123; p = 0.012) and stone location (OR, 3.142; p = 0.018). RIRS is an endourological procedure with a high success rate in the achievement of a stoneless state in both pediatric and adult age groups, with an 82-100 % success rate reported in various studies. A full stoneless state was achieved in 277 (75.3 %) units after the initial RIRS in the present study, and full stone clearance was achieved in 304 units after the second RIRS session, with a success rate of 82.6 %. A limitation of our study is that it was not performed by a single surgeon, and stone samples could not be taken from all patients for stone analysis. RIRS has also been associated with a high success rate in the endoscopic treatment of renal stones and is an efficient and safe method with a minimal rate of complications, especially in the pediatric age group.

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Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest.