Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study is to determine the frequency and predictive factors of postoperative UTI in patients who underwent URS regarding ureteral stones.

METHODS

Data from 425 patients undergoing semi-rigid ureteroscopic lithotripsy between December 2015 and December 2019 at a single center were reviewed to detect factors predicting postoperative urinary tract infections.

RESULTS

Of the 425 patients, 35 were infective (8.2%). Proximal ureteral stones were the majority in infective group (48.5%); distal ureteral stones were the majority in non-infective group (42.6%)(p=0.026). Stone number and stone size were also higher in the postoperative infective group (p<0.05). UTI history and preoperative DJS insertion were higher in Group 1 (p <0.001, p = 0.001, respectively). Multivariate regression analyses revealed that history of UTI (OR=5.513, 95% CI; 2.622–11.591, p value <0.001) and presence of residual fragments (OR=4.274, 95% CI; 1.892–9.657, p value <0.001) were independent risk factors for infectious complications after URS.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Even if URS is considered an innocuous procedure, the probability of postoperative infectious complications is far from negligible. Our results showed that the presence of UTI history and residual fragments were associated with an increased risk of subsequent UTI after URS. These infectious complications also have significant morbidity, mortality and expenditure if not treated timely. Therefore, to avoid this preventable complication, all variables should be reviewed and more careful.