Semi-rigid Ureteroscopy in the Treatment of Upper Urinary Tract Stones in Two University Hospitals in Burkina Faso: Preliminary Results

Introduction: Ureteroscopy (URS) is a minimally invasive procedure that has become a common practice in endourology over the last two decades. Our study was initiated to evaluate the preliminary results of this technique in two university hospitals in Burkina Faso. Materials and methods: this was a retrospective descriptive study conducted over a 10-month period from January 1 to October 31, 2023. It included patients who underwent semi-rigid ureteroscopy for the treatment of upper urinary tract calculi. Results: we recruited 26 patients. The mean patient age was 39.65 years, with a range of 23 to 70 years. The calculus was right-sided in 61.54% (n=16) of cases and left-sided in 38.46% (n=10). The stone location was pelvic in 69.23% (n=18) and lumbar in 30.77% (n=8). The mean stone size was 13.73 mm, with a range of 7 to 22 mm. The mean stone density was 964.57 Hounsfield Units (HU), with a range of 457 to 1522. The mean fragmentation time was 97 minutes, with a range of 55 to 145 minutes. The mean hospital stay was 2 days, and the stone-free rate was 100% Conclusion: Semi-rigid ureteroscopy is new practice in Burkina Faso. It represents a valuable alternative for the management of upper urinary tract stones.