Percutaneous versus transurethral cystolithotripsy for the management of bladder calculi in the pre-school boys: Prospective randomized study.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the efficacy and safety of percutaneous cystolithotripsy (PCCL) and transurethral cystolithotripsy (TUCL) in the management of bladder calculi in preschool-aged boys.

METHODS

Between February 2019 and February 2024, 150 eligible patients with a single bladder calculus ≤20 mm. were randomly allocated to one of two groups: group A (PCCL group) and group B (TUCL group), each group included 75 patients. Stone properties, laboratory data, and intraoperative and postoperative data were collected.

RESULTS

No statistically significant differences were found regarding the preoperative criteria between the groups. The TUCL group had a longer operative time (p = 0.003). No statistically significant differences were found between both groups regarding the need to convert to open surgery (4 % vs. 0 %, p = 0.08). Two cases (2.7 %) in TUCL group were converted to PCCL. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups regarding the visual analogue score for pain, the duration of hospital admission, the timing of catheter removal, the early operative stone clearance, and the success rate (p = 0.63, 0.47, 0.47, 0.07, and 0.9 respectively). Persistent postoperative hematuria was more evident in the TUCL group (p = 0.003). Stone size and operative time were the factors affecting success (p = 0.02, 0.003 respectively) and complications (p = 0.031, 0.002 respectively) in both procedures.

CONCLUSION

The success and complications rates of both techniques were similar. The operative time for PCCL was shorter. Stone size and operative time were the variables influencing success and complications of both techniques.