What Is The RIRS Method In Turkey?

Urinary system stone disease, which can occur in the kidneys, urethra, ureter or bladder, can lead to serious problems if not treated early. It is possible to say that this disease, which is seen in approximately 2 to 3 percent of people, is one of the most common diseases. Its incidence may vary according to dietary habits and various factors. One of the newest and most frequently used methods to eliminate kidney stones is the RIRS method.

When kidney stones occur, patients’ complaints to a urology clinic are usually in the form of flank pain or burning in urination. In order to detect whether there are stones in the kidney, first a physical examination and then USG imaging is requested. As a result of USG imaging, both the size and location of the stone are determined. Before the RIRS method emerged, the two most commonly used methods for stones larger than 2 cm were closed kidney stone surgery, called PNL, and open kidney stone surgery. In the PNL method, a kidney stone could be intervened through a small hole in the patient’s body. However, after the emergence of the RIRS method, even kidney stones up to 3.5 cm in diameter can be intervened without making any holes or incisions in the patient’s body.

RIRS; is called Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery or Intrarenal Stone Breaking Method. In the RIRS method, a procedure performed under general anesthesia, the stone in the kidney is reached with a bendable ureteroscope inserted through the urinary tract. The stone, which is broken into small pieces, is taken out of the body as small pieces. Small residues or crumbs remaining inside are excreted through urine. It is much more advantageous than the PNL method, as no cuts are made on the body and no scars are formed.

The RIRS method can be applied in many cases as one of the most modern and newest treatment methods for kidney stones.

It is possible to list the situations in which the RIRS method can be applied as follows:

• In the presence of large stones up to 3.5 cm in addition to small and medium stones,
• In overweight patients,
• In patients with stones in both kidneys,
• In patients with more than one stone in their kidneys,
• In patients with simultaneous kidney and ureteral stones,
• In patients who underwent the ESWL method but did not get results.

The RIRS method, which is a risk-free operation, results in high success rates when applied correctly by specialist physicians.

As in every operation, there are some advantages and disadvantages in the RIRS method.

We can list these advantages and disadvantages as follows:

• The average discharge time, which is 3 days in PNL operations, is 24 hours in the RIRS method.
• Since there are no holes or cuts on the body, there is no scar. The recovery and hospitalization time of the patient is much shorter. At the same time, risks such as bleeding and infection are eliminated.
• The ESWL method is generally applied to stones smaller than 2 cm and is not a useful method for stones larger than 2 cm. In the RIRS method, stones larger than 2 cm can also be intervened. Therefore, it is a more advantageous method than the ESWL method.
• In the ESWL method, all of the broken stones should be excreted through urine. This can cause some stones to get stuck in the urinary tract. However, there is no such risk in the RIRS method. All stones are removed and only small debris is excreted through urine.
• If a patient has a kidney anomaly due to congenital or different reasons, the first method used is the RIRS method.
• The use of blood thinners by the patients does not prevent the application of the RIRS method.

• In the RIRS method, which is applied to large stones, the operation time may be longer as it takes time for the stones to break down. This may cause adverse conditions such as stenosis in the ureter or damage to the ureter.
• Since it is a very new method, the number of surgeons and clinics who can perform the operation is low.

The RIRS method, as a modern and new method, has made great progress, especially in the intervention of large kidney stones. If you also have a kidney stone complaint, you can get information about the RIRS method from a specialist.