Ways in which SWL affects oxidant/antioxidant balance

Many damages can occur in the kidneys following extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) and some of these damages are thought to emerge as a result of oxidative stress. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of SWL application on kidneys in stone patients on oxidative stress parameters in 24-h urine. The study included 20 patients scheduled for SWL. total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) measurements were made on 24-h urines of the patients before and after SWL. The oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated based on these values. Following SWL, while TOS increased in 24-h urine (p = 0.006), TAC remained unchanged (p = 0.312). OSI increased following the procedure (p = 0.004). SWL application disrupts the oxidant/antioxidant balance in favor of oxidants, which leads to oxidative stress. TOS, TAC and OSI may be useful in the determination of the existence of oxidative stress following SWL.