The role of mannitol in alleviating renal injury during extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

Purpose: We determined the role of mannitol in preventing or alleviating renal injury during extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL, Dornier Medical Systems, Inc., Marietta, Georgia).

Materials And Methods: Patients undergoing ESWL were randomized to receive mannitol or control.

Are stents still a useful therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia?

Purpose Of Review: The use of an endoprosthesis to maintain lumenal patency is a well-established concept used in a variety of surgical settings, including cardiovascular and gastrointestinal pathologies. However, the utility of self-retaining endoprosthetics and their application in prostatic pathology and benign prostatic hyperplasia is not as clear. This report reviews recent developments in the management of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia, particularly the current role of intraprostatic stenting in the advent of other minimally invasive therapies such as laser prostatectomy.