Abstract
Purpose of Review: Nephrolithiasis is a not infrequent complication of pregnancy. The occurrence of a stone event in a pregnant woman is a complex situation. Therefore, a clear understanding of the management options available and their relative advantages and disadvantages for this unique population is important. Recent Findings: When initial, conservative measures have failed in the treatment of a pregnant woman suffering from an acute stone event, management options have historically been of a temporizing nature: generally, either ureteral stent placement or nephrostomy drainage. However, with recent advances in surgical technology and surgeon technique, a more definitive approach to these patients has become more widely adopted. Indeed, several recent case series have reported the complication rate for ureteroscopy during pregnancy to be low. Furthermore, a meta-analysis of case series of ureteroscopy during pregnancy suggests definitive endoscopic treatment is well tolerated in this patient population. Summary: In a pregnant patient without contraindications to ureteroscopy, the definitive endoscopic treatment of an acute stone event is a reasonable management strategy, should conservative measures fail. Although further investigation with randomized control trials is ideally needed to confirm these results, at present, the published case series and meta-analysis confirm the safety of ureteroscopy in pregnant patients in the appropriate setting. A multidisciplinary approach is key to the successful management of this complex patient population.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 174-177 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Current opinion in urology |
Volume | 20 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1 2010 |
Keywords
- Calculi
- Kidney
- Nephrostomy
- Pregnancy
- Ureteroscopy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Urology