The effectiveness and safety of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for the management of kidney stones: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) has gained worldwide popularity as one of the most commonly used minimally invasive management of urinary tract stones. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ESWL for patients with kidney stones (KS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This protocol established in this study has been reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols. Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China Knowledge Network Database (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), and Wan Fang Database were searched for case–control studies in ESWL treating patients with KS until July 1, 2020. We will use a combination of Medical Subject Heading and free-text terms with various synonyms to search based on the Eligibility criteria. Two investigators independently reviewed the included studies and extracted relevant data. The relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used as effect estimate. I(2) test, substantial heterogeneity, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias assessment will be performed accordingly. Stata 14.0 and Review Manger 5.3 are used for a meta-analysis. RESULTS: The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSION: The results of this review will be widely disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. This evidence may also provide helpful evidence of the efficacy and safety of ESWL treating patients with KS. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019157243