Vol. 43 (5): 796-797, September – October, 2017
doi: 10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2017.05.01
EDITORIAL in this Issue
Stênio de Cássio Zequi
Editor Associado, International Braz J Urol
Divisão de Urologia do A.C. Camargo Cancer Center
Fundação A. Prudente, São Paulo, Brasil
Around the 1980’s the external shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) promoted a revolution in the millenary open surgical approach of urinary stones. After the ESWL, the Endourology procedures and its devices progressed a lot, but several controversies persist in this area, as: What is the best approach during the flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy, to promote stone fragmentation or dusting? These two visions were put underdebate in the Difference of Opinion Section (page 798), respectively by the doctors Meller and Lopes Neto, from Brazil. During this time, ESWL had expanded its applications in in Orthopedics and in Pain Medicine. More recently, new ESWL devices, were developed for new a urologic use: The treatment of erectile dysfunction, but this approach is subject of doubts and some skepticism. To help our readers in understanding this kind of treatment, a Chinese Group performed a review of 15 studies and a metanalisys of 4 controlled randomized trials, focusing in the early treatment results (30 days after intervention) They concluded that low intensity ESWL results in better improvement of erectile function in comparison with the sham treatment groups (page 805)…
