Does Timing of Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery Following Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy Failure Influence the Outcomes?

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the impact of the timing of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) following extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) on renal stone treatment outcomes. Material and Methods: This retrospective study included 138 patients who underwent RIRS for renal stones after at least two failed SWL sessions between 2020 and 2024. Patients were divided into three groups based on the time interval between SWL and RIRS: 7-14 days (group 1), 15-22 days (group 2), and 23-30 days (group 3). Demographic data, stone characteristics, operative time, stone-free rate, and complication rates were compared. Results: Stone-free rates were similar across the three groups (group 1: 85.4%, group 2: 84.8%, group 3: 86.3%, p=0.978). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of median operative time (p=0.249), median length of hospital stays (p=0.865), perioperative complications (p=0.884), or postoperative complications (p=0.962). Conclusions: The timing of RIRS after failed SWL does not appear to impact treatment outcomes for renal stones significantly, and these findings suggest flexibility in scheduling RIRS after SWL failure.