Table 1. Characteristics of the enrolled studies for this meta-analysis.
| Category | Study | Study design | LE | Study region | Follow-up time | Definition of stone-free | Methods | Gender (male, n) | Age (years) | Stone size (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESWL vs URSL | Khalil, et al. 2013 ( 12 ) | n-RCT | 4 | Kuwait | 3 months | Complete removal | ESWL | 31, 37 | 37.1±8.8 | 13.2±2.9 |
| URSL | 37, 45 | 35.2±10.4 | 13.4±2.7 | |||||||
| Lee, et al. 2006 ( 13 ) | RCT | 2b | China | Final procedures | ≤ 3 mm | ESWL | 19, 22 | 54.2±16.7 | 17.9±3.9 | |
| URSL | 16, 20 | 48.5±13.3 | 18.5±2.9 | |||||||
| Salem, et al. 2009 ( 14 ) | RCT | 2b | Egypt | 3 months | Complete removal | ESWL | 27, 42 | 36.4±4.5 | 12.5±2.3 | |
| URSL | 30, 48 | 36.7±7 | 12.2±2 | |||||||
| Kumar, et al. 2013 ( 15 ) | RCT | 2b | India | 3 months | ≤ 3 mm | ESWL | 20, 37 | 37.3±2.2 | 15.2±1.3 | |
| URSL | 21, 41 | 36.3±2.3 | 15.3±1.2 | |||||||
| Manzoor, et al. 2013 ( 16 ) | RCT | 2b | Pakistan | Not stated | Not stated | ESWL | NA | 44.3±10.1 | 10.8±4.3 | |
| URSL | NA | 45.4±13.2 | 11.3±3.7 | |||||||
| Tawfick, et al. 2010 ( 17 ) | n-RCT | 4 | Egypt | 1 month | Not stated | ESWL | 54, 71 | NA | 13.4±0.3 | |
| URSL | 61, 76 | NA | 15.1±0.4 | |||||||
| Wu, et al. 2004 ( 18 ) | n-RCT | 4 | China | 1 month | Not stated | ESWL | 34, 41 | NA | 12.8±0.4 | |
| URSL | 34, 39 | NA | 15.1±0.5 | |||||||
| Wu, et al. 2005 ( 19 ) | n-RCT | 4 | China | 4 weeks | < 3 mm | ESWL | 41, 51 | 51.5±1.9 | 12.1±0.3 | |
| URSL | 43, 56 | 53.8±1.5 | 17±0.7 | |||||||
| Lam, et al. 2002 ( 20 ) | n-RCT | 4 | USA | 3 months | Complete removal | ESWL | 14, 20 | 45.4±5 | 12.6±2.5 | |
| URSL | 12, 14 | 39.6±7 | 11.1±2.5 | |||||||
| Rabani, et al. 2012 ( 21 ) | RCT | 2b | Iran | 1 month | < 5 mm | ESWL | NA | NA | 17.7±3.3 | |
| URSL | NA | NA | 17.6±3.8 | |||||||
| URSL vs PCNL | Qi, et al. 2014 ( 22 ) | RCT | 2b | China | 1 month | < 4 mm | URSL | 31, 52 | 42.5±10.3 | 19.8±4.3 |
| PCNL | 30, 52 | 41.1±12.4 | 20.3±3.6 | |||||||
| Sun 2008, et al. ( 23 ) | RCT | 2b | China | 1 month | < 5 mm | URSL | 31, 47 | 39.6±7.3 | 14.6±1.8 | |
| PCNL | 30, 44 | 40.4±8.4 | 14.7±2 | |||||||
| URSL vs LU | Fang, et al. 2012 ( 24 ) | RCT | 2b | China | 3-12 months | Not stated | URSL | 15, 25 | 36.9±11.8 | 15±4 |
| LU | 14, 25 | 34.4±9.8 | 16±3 | |||||||
| Kumar, et al. 2015 ( 25 ) | RCT | 2b | India | 3 months | ≤ 3 mm | URSL | 26, 50 | 35.6±2.1 | 22±1 | |
| LU | 24, 50 | 36.7±2.4 | 23±2 | |||||||
| Shao, et al. 2015 ( 26 ) | RCT | 2b | China | 20 months | Not stated | URSL | 90, 139 | 41±12.3 | 13.6±1.4 | |
| LU | 92, 136 | 40±12.5 | 13.8±1.9 | |||||||
| URSL vs LU | Choi, et al. 2019 ( 27 ) | n-RCT | 4 | South Korea | 3 months | < 2 mm | URSL | 32, 52 | 57±1.5 | 2.2±0 |
| LU | 26, 48 | 57.9±1.9 | 2.1±0 | |||||||
| Falahatkar, et al. 2011 ( 28 ) | n-RCT | 4 | Iran | Not stated | Not stated | URSL | 12, 20 | 43±14 | NA | |
| LU | 14, 20 | 41±10 | NA | |||||||
| Kadyan, et al. 2016 ( 29 ) | RCT | 2b | India | 3 weeks | < 4 mm | URSL | 38, 60 | 44.3±3.2 | 16.8±1.5 | |
| LU | 37, 62 | 42.1±2.7 | 17.2±1.9 | |||||||
| Tugcu, et al. 2016 ( 30 ) | n-RCT | 4 | Turkey | 1 month | < 4 mm | URSL | 55, 80 | 40.7±10.2 | 18.5±3.4 | |
| LU | 73, 103 | 39.9±12 | 21.1±4.5 | |||||||
| PCNL vs LU | Karami, et al. 2013 ( 31 ) | RCT | 2b | Iran | 6 months | Complete removal | PCNL | 28, 40 | 39.4±11.8 | 14.2±3.8 |
| LU | 24, 40 | 35.2±9.8 | 13.5±4.5 | |||||||
| Mousavi, et al. 2019 ( 32 ) | n-RCT | 4 | Iran | Not stated | Not stated | PCNL | 39, 52 | 47.8±16.7 | 18.3±2.6 | |
| LU | 46, 55 | 42.9±16.1 | 21.3±2.2 | |||||||
| ESWL vs URSL vs LU | Lopes Neto, et al. 2012 ( 33 ) | RCT | 2b | Brazil | 2 months | ≤ 3 mm | ESWL | 7, 14 | 46±13.5 | 13.8±2.5 |
| URSL | 10, 16 | 49.6±15.5 | 14.4±4.1 | |||||||
| LU | 9, 15 | 46±13.6 | 15.9±4.1 | |||||||
| Ozturk, et al. 2013 ( 34 ) | RCT | 2b | Turkey | 3 months | < 4 mm | ESWL | 33, 52 | 40.7±14.5 | 13.2±2.1 | |
| URSL | 30, 48 | 41.1±8.5 | 13.2±2 | |||||||
| LU | 21, 51 | 40±10.8 | 13.3±2.1 | |||||||
| URSL vs PCNL vs LU | Basiri, et al. 2008 ( 35 ) | RCT | 2b | Iran | 3 weeks | Not Stated | URSL | 33, 50 | 39±15 | 17.8±2.4 |
| PCNL | 32, 50 | 48±13 | 20.3±3.3 | |||||||
| LU | 36, 50 | 44±13 | 22.4±3.2 | |||||||
| Wang, et al. 2017 ( 36 ) | RCT | 2b | China | 1 month | < 4 mm | URSL | 28, 50 | 42±14 | 16.8±2.1 | |
| PCNL | 31, 50 | 41±15 | 19.3±1.8 | |||||||
| LU | 29, 50 | 44±11 | 18.8±1.4 |
n= number; mm= millimeter; n-RCT = non-randomized controlled trial; RCT = randomized controlled trial; LE = level of evidence; NA = not available.