ABSTRACT
Objective To compare the safety and efficacy of flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy (F-URS) and mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy(MPCNL) for treating upper ureteral calculi by the randomized controlled clinical trial .Methods 120 cases of up-per ureteral calculi treated in this hospital from May to September 2013 were randomized into the F-URS group and the MPCNL group with 60 cases in each group .The postoperative clinical curative effects were compared between the two groups .Results The initial stone clearance rates of the F-URS group and the MPCNL group were 68 .33% and 95 .00% respectively ,and the difference was statistically significant (P0 .05) .The operating time of the F-URS group and the MPCNL group was (35 .33 ± 11 .57)min and (53 .75 ± 17 .31)min respectively ,the average hospital stay after operation was(3 .05 ± 0 .62)d and (5 .43 ± 1 .84)d respectively ,and the average visual analogue scale(VAS) score on first postoper-ative day was 1 .70 ± 1 .37 and 3 .68 ± 1 .57 respectively .These indicators had statistically significant differences between the two groups(P0 .05) .Conclusion For upper ureteral calculi with surgical indication ,the effect of F-URS is equivalence to MPCNL in the aspect of the stone clearance rate ,but F-URS has high-er security and shorter postoperative hospital stay .In the department with the condition to conduct F-URS ,F-URS should be ranked as the preferred treatment method for upper ureteral calculi .