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Flexible ureteroscopy matched stone clearance with fewer early complications

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Research area:medicine-clinicalurology

What the study found

In patients with a solitary kidney and 1.0–2.0 cm renal stones, flexible ureteroscopy (f-URS) and mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mPCNL) had similar stone-free rates. The study reports that f-URS was associated with less bleeding, shorter hospital stays, and better short-term kidney function measures.

Why the authors say this matters

The authors conclude that f-URS may be a viable nephron-sparing option, meaning a treatment intended to preserve kidney tissue, for this high-risk population. They also state that the findings are preliminary and suggest the need for further prospective, long-term studies.

What the researchers tested

This was a retrospective study of 50 solitary-kidney patients treated between June 2018 and April 2024. The researchers compared mPCNL in 26 patients with f-URS in 24 patients, measuring 3-month stone-free rate, complications by Clavien–Dindo classification, and renal function using serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a measure of how well the kidneys filter blood.

What worked and what didn't

Stone-free rates were comparable between the two procedures: 96.2% for mPCNL and 91.7% for f-URS, with no statistically significant difference reported. f-URS showed significantly smaller hemoglobin decline, shorter hospitalization, and all grade II complications, which required transfusion, occurred in the mPCNL group. At 1 month, f-URS was associated with greater improvement in serum creatinine and eGFR than mPCNL.

What to keep in mind

The study is retrospective and included only 50 patients, so the authors treat the results as hypothesis-generating. The abstract says longer-term durability of the kidney function differences has not been established, and the findings may not apply beyond solitary-kidney patients with 1.0–2.0 cm renal stones.

Key points

  • The study compared mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy and flexible ureteroscopy in 50 solitary-kidney patients.
  • Stone-free rates were similar between the two treatments.
  • Flexible ureteroscopy had less hemoglobin decline and shorter hospital stays.
  • All grade II complications, which required transfusion, occurred in the mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy group.
  • At 1 month, flexible ureteroscopy showed greater improvement in creatinine and eGFR.

Disclosure

Research title:
Flexible ureteroscopy matched stone clearance with fewer early complications
Authors:
Yuehan Yang, Zhongwei Jiang, Xike Mao, Lvwen Zhang, Zongyao Hao
Institutions:
Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, China Medical University, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Shenyang 242 Hospital, Shenyang Medical College
Publication date:
2026-03-09
DOI:
10.3390/jcm15052089
OpenAlex record:
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AI provenance: This post was generated by gpt-5.4-mini (OpenAI). The original authors did not write or review this post.

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