AB208. Can bladder irrigation reduce the morbidity of bladder stones in patients with spinal cord injury?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and efficacy of bladder irrigation for reducing the morbidity of bladder stones in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. METHODS: From December 2011 to July 2013, SCI patients were prospectively randomized and assigned to either a bladder irrigation group or a no bladder irrigation group. Bladder irrigations were performed twice a week by urologists. The primary outcomes were incidences of bladder stones and Incontinence-Specific Quality-of-Life Instrument (I-QoL). Secondary outcomes were related adverse events. RESULTS: A total of 80 eligible patients participated and 78 (97.5%) patients (bladder irrigation, n=39; no bladder irrigation, n=39) completed 24 weeks of follow-up. Out of the 78 patients, 19 (24.3%) developed bladder stones. All occurred in no bladder irrigation group. In 8 of the 19 patients (42.1%), stones were only detected by cystoscopy .The bladder stones were mostly thin with an eggshell appearance (78.95% for diameter of stone <5 mm, 84.21% for volume of bladder stone<0.2 cm(3)). Bladder stones were removed by vigorous bladder irrigation guided by ultrasound (73.68%) or endoscopic lithotripsy (26.32%). The I-QOL was significantly better in the bladder irrigation group than in no bladder irrigation group at weeks 6, 12, 18, and 24 of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Bladder irrigation may be more effective and safer than no bladder irrigation for reducing the morbidity of bladder stone in SCI patients.