Efficacy and Safety of External Physical Vibration Lithecbole After Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy or Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery for Urinary Stone: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Introduction

The current study evaluated the efficacy and safety of external physical vibration lithecbole (EPVL) after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) or retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) for urolithiasis.

Methods

Publicized literature was systematically searched from EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PubMed, ScienceDirect, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Web of Science up to February 2020. Fixed-effects or random-effects model was chosen in risk ratio (RR) calculation according to heterogeneity. Quality of evidence was estimated under the guidance of Cochrane handbook. Stone expulsion rate, stone-free rates (SFRs), and complication rates were set as end points.

Results

Six randomized controlled trials, including 853 patients, were eligible for analysis. EPVL significantly increased SFR within 3 weeks (RR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.06-1.29, P = 0.001) and above 3 weeks (RR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.03-1.37, P = 0.02) after SWL. EPVL also improved SFR within 3 weeks (RR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.35-2.49, P < 0.0001) and above 3 weeks (RR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.33-1.77, P < 0.00001) after RIRS. Besides, EPVL can significantly increase SFRs for stones in renal pelvis, lower calix, and multiple locations (all P-value <0.05). Although the overall complication rate was not significantly higher in EPVL + RIRS group, it was found to be 1.38 times higher in EPVL+SWL group (RR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.06-1.79, P = 0.02), especially the incidence of flank pain (RR = 3.11, 95% CI: 1.02-9.46, P = 0.05).

Conclusions

EPVL is effective and safe with high SFRs (especially in renal pelvis, lower calix, and multiple locations) after SWL or RIRS and lower overall complication rate after RIRS in patients with urolithiasis. However, the overall complication rate (especially the incidence of flank pain) was higher after EPVL + SWL.