Outcome of Open Surgery for Urinary Tract Calculi at Jos University Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background: Urinary tract calculi are common affliction of humans. Surgeries to remove stones from the urinary tract are among the oldest forms of open surgery. These surgeries have evolved and minimally invasive procedures are now the choice procedures. Developing countries still depend on open surgeries to treat urinary stone disease due to lack of equipment or high cost. This study aims to review the treatment outcome of open stone surgery in a tertiary health institution in North-Central Nigeria.
Materials and methods: A retrospective review of open surgeries for urinary tract calculi done between December 2007 and December 2011 was done and demographics, type of open procedure , stone free rates and complications of surgeries were analysed with Epi-info 3.4.1. Being stone-free was defined as complete extraction of stone which had been preoperatively diagnosed on Intravenous Urogram (IVU) and/or Computed Tomogram Urography (CTU).
Results: Forty-seven open procedures for urinary stone disease were done. Age range was 3-81 years with a mean of 40.95±17.39 years. Five (10.6%) Nephrolithotomies, 11(23.4%) Pyelolithotomies, 9(19.1%) Ureterolithotomies, 20(42.6%) Cystolithotomies, 1(2.1%) Nephrectomy and 1(2.1%) Poucholithotomy was done. There was 100% stone-free rate for all the procedures except Pyelolithotomies where stone free rate was 90.9 %. There was a complication rate of 31.9% which included urinary tract infections (UTI), incisional hernia and surgical site infections.
Conclusion: For developing countries open stone surgery still remains the main option of treatment. Stone free rates are high following open surgeries, but these surgeries are inundated with morbidities.