ABSTRACT

Bladder stones make up 5% of urinary tract stone diseases, and 5% of all bladder stones are seen in women. All kinds of pathologies, chronic urinary tract infections, and foreign bodies causing urinary flow to be dysfunctional are regarded as predisposing factors in general. Well-defined endoscopic, laparoscopic, and open surgical procedures can be performed for treatment. In this study, we retrospectively examined data from female patients who were operated after being diagnosed with bladder stones in our clinic.

Data from 92 females who were operated after being diagnosed with bladder stones at our clinic between January 2006 and October 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients’ demographic information, complaints on admission, etiological factors in stone formation, and pre-/post-operative data were retrospectively analyzed.

The ages of the patients ranged between 17 and 85 years (mean, 46.8 years). When the backgrounds of the patients were studied, a history of the following was found: gynecological procedures in 49 patients [12 patients with transobturator tape (TOT), trans-vaginal tape in 10 (TVT), trans-abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in 9 (TAH-BSO), cystocele repair in 7, cesarean section in 8 (C/S), intrauterine device migration in 3, and neurogenic bladder dysfunction in 9]. The average stone size was 25.4 mm (range, 7-50 mm). Except for 9 patients with an excess load of stones or in whom the stones could not be previously removed using endoscopic methods, all patients were endoscopically treated.

Together with a more frequent application of urogynecological procedures, bladder stones in females have become an important fact in clinical practice that should not be ignored. Therefore, despite the safe and successful use of endoscopic surgical procedures, this topic needs to be supported and developed with new studies.

Keywords: Lithotripsy, bladder stones, neurogenic dysfunction, intrauterine devices, cystocele, sling