Urolithiasis is not only one of the most frequently encountered diseases at uro­ logical clinics; it is also the disorder whose treatment has shown the most rapid progress in the past decade. In that period, medicine has experienced a real revolution, characterized by minimally invasive treatments, improvement of the quality of life, and cost-effectiveness in treatment outcomes. In urology, the revolution started with the development of endoscopic retrograde treatment of urolithiasis in the upper urinary tract, which led to development of the percuta­ neous antegrade maneuver in the latter half of the 1970s. The most remarkable event occurred in 1982, when clinical use of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy was introduced by the Munich group, represented by Dr. Christian Chaussy, at the 18th Congress of the International Society of Urology in San Francisco. With the advent of these new strategies, open surgery for urolithiasis has all but dis­ appeared. Today, with the availability of new technology and equipment, guide­ lines for the treatment of urolithiasis have changed in all developed countries. It is quite timely that the Meeting of International Consultation on Urolithiasis will be held in Paris in June 2001 to establish international guidelines for urolithiasis. Looking through this textbook for urolithiasis, I was greatly impressed to learn that we have already drawn up some guidelines. The book includes all the updated advances of urolithiasis presented by the most prominent and experi­ enced urologists from all around the world.

Inhalt

1. Clinical Practice Guidelines for Ureteral Stones: Its Implications in Japan and Limitations: 2. Epidemiology of Urolithiasis inJapan: 3. Urolithiasis- Patient Evaluation and Medical Treatment: 4. Management of Urolithiasis: Guidelines in the USA: 5. Treatment of Complicated Urolithiasis: 6. Contemporaru Management of Distal Ureteral Calculi: 7. PNL & Staghorn Calculi Per-cutaneous Nephrolitholithotripsy(PNL):What Factors Make PNL Difficult and What Are the Ways to Prevent and Solve Those Problems: 8. Technology of shock wave lithotripsy: 9. Ureteropyeloscopic Treatment of Upper Urinary Tract Calcili: 10. Calyceal Calculi: 11. Common and Uncommon Complications Related to ESWL: 12. Urolithiasis in Children -- ESWL and Auxiliary Measures Complication of Urolithiasis Treatment (PNL):