Shock wave lithotripsy for ureteral stones in elderly male patients

Introduction.?Age has never been considered as a factor in the treatment of ureteral stones, but elderly male patients may suffer from concomitant illnesses that may affect SWL results, such as voiding difficulties and musculo-skeletal and cardio-vascular disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the success rate and complications of shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) for all size and location ureteral stones in patients older than 70 years of age.

Patients and Methods.?We retrospectively reviewed the charts and radiology films of all patients who had undergone SWL for ureteral stones with the HM3 lithotriptor and compared the results of patients younger than 70 years to those older than 70 years.

Results.?During 2000–2003, 238 consecutive male patients (23 older than 70 years) underwent SWL under regional anesthesia for all size and locations ureteral stones. Stone sizes, locations, opacity, and pre-operative drainage procedures matched in both groups. The overall stone-free rate was 91% for both groups. Complications were recorded in 1% of the older patients and 3.7% of the younger ones. No treatment-related mortality was recorded.

Conclusions.?Age itself has no effect on the success rate of SWL with the HM3 lithotripter for ureteral stones. In general, SWL treatment showed a high success rate with minimal morbidity and no treatment-related mortality.     

Immigrants in a Restructuring Economy: A Partial Test of Theories

The article addresses the occupational integration of immigrants from the former USSR into the economy of the city of Tel Aviv. This process is examined from a structural perspective, which focuses on the location of immigrants as a group in the restructuring economy of Israel's main business centre.
Data from labour force surveys and income surveys conducted in 1992 and 1994 by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics are used to analyse the distribution of veteran Israelis and recent immigrants among economic sectors and occupations.
Despite their superior academic and professional qualifications, immigrants were underrepresented in the business and financial services sector, the leading sector in post-industrial economies. They were most strongly represented in the personal services sector, where they replaced Palestinian workers. The findings lend support to both the restructuring and replacement hypotheses.