To investigate the current status of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) in the treatment of upper urinary tract calculi in children.

This investigation included the background information of the respondents, the etiology, diagnosis, and assessment of upper urinary tract calculi in children, the indications, procedure, complications, and management of SWL treatment for upper urinary tract calculi in children, as well as the prognosis and follow-up.

The survey was conducted from January to February 2024. There were 224 valid questionnaires, of which over 70% came from East China, North China, and Central China. The proportion of tertiary and above hospitals involved was 75.90%, the proportion of physicians involved was 83.93%, and 56.7% of the hospitals had carried out SWL for children. Between hospitals that carried out SWL for children and did not, there were statistically significant differences in years of conducting SWL, success rate of treatment, types of included children, need for metabolic assessment, application of preoperative antibacterial drugs, and evaluation time of postoperative stone clearance rate (P<0.05).

Although SWL is widely used, its use for managing upper urinary tract stones in children is relatively limited. There are insufficient understandings and standardized demands regarding the etiology, assessment, indications, preoperative preparation, complication management, prevention, and follow-up of SWL in the treatment of upper urinary tract calculi in children. Conducting high-quality research, formulating diagnosis and treatment norms, and providing professional training will play a promoting role in the treatment of upper urinary tract calculi in children by SWL.