Stone, Kidney

This multicenter, prospective, randomized clinical trial compares FANS-assisted flexible ureteroscopy (FURS) with suction-assisted mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mini-PCNL) for the treatment of renal stones measuring 2-3 cm. A total of 280 patients will be enrolled across nine tertiary centers and randomized 1:1 to either technique. The primary endpoint is stone-free rate (SFR) at 1 month, assessed by non-contrast CT. Secondary outcomes include operative time, intraoperative complications, postoperative morbidity (Clavien-Dindo), pain scores, hospital stay, reinterventions, and quality of life (EQ-5D-5L). The study aims to provide the first high-quality head-to-head evidence comparing these two modern suction-enhanced technologies, with the goal of defining the optimal minimally invasive approach for medium-sized renal stones.

This study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of two modern, minimally invasive surgical techniques for the removal of kidney stones: Mini-Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (Mini-PCNL) and Flexible Ureteroscopy (FURS) with Flexible and navigable suction sheath The primary objective is to determine which procedure results in a higher stone-free rate, as measured by post-operative imaging. Secondary objectives include comparing operative time, hospitalization length andcomplication rates between the two treatment groups. Patients with two to three centimeter kidney stones who are candidates for either procedure will be randomly assigned to undergo either Mini-PCNL or suctioning FURS. The outcomes will be critically assessed to help establish a higher level of evidence for guiding surgical management of kidney stones.

This is a multicenter prospective trial with randomized and observational cohorts assessing patient-reported outcomes and unplanned healthcare utilization following ureteroscopic treatment of renal and ureteral stones, with placement versus omission of a ureteral stent. Eligible participants in the randomization trial will be randomized to ureteroscopy with stent placement or stent omission. Eligible participants that consent to the observational only cohort will complete surveys and the treating physicians will decide the treatment options for the participants. The study team hypothesizes that: * Pain interference change from pre-surgery to Day 7-10 will differ between the two treatment arms. This hypothesis will be evaluated separately in the randomized and observational cohorts. * Unplanned healthcare utilization in the treatment arms will have different unplanned healthcare utilization ranks leading to a win proportion significantly higher or lower than 0.5 in the stent omission arm compared to the stent placement arm. This hypothesis will be evaluated separately in the randomized and observational cohorts.

This observational study aims to look at the connections between kidney stones, insulin resistance, and inflammation. The researchers hypothesize that people who form calcium kidney stones and have insulin resistance may have higher levels of inflammation because they have more visceral fat (fat around the abdominal organs). The study will recruit 20 people who have had calcium kidney stones but don't have diabetes, and 20 healthy people who haven't had kidney stones. All the participants will come to the research center at the University of Chicago Medicine. Participants will have a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan to measure their visceral fat, and give blood and urine samples. The blood will be tested for insulin resistance, inflammatory markers, and other metabolic factors. The urine will be analyzed for substances that increase kidney stone risk. The main goal is to see if the kidney stone formers with insulin resistance have more visceral fat compared to those without insulin resistance and the healthy participants. The researchers will also compare inflammatory marker levels between groups, and look at how visceral fat, inflammatory markers, insulin resistance, and urine stone risk factors are related. The findings may help explain how kidney stones are connected to metabolic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Researchers hope this information will help identify stone formers at risk early and develop preventive treatments in the future.

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether the surgical position during retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) affects stone-free rates in adults with kidney stones. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the modified lithotomy position result in a higher stone-free rate compared to the standard lithotomy position? * Are there differences in complication rates between the two surgical positions? Researchers will compare patients undergoing RIRS in the standard lithotomy position to those in the modified lithotomy position (30-degree Trendelenburg with elevated surgical side) to assess its impact on stone clearance and surgical outcomes. Participants will: * Be randomly assigned to one of two surgical positions * Undergo RIRS with standard surgical procedures * Have follow-up imaging to assess stone clearance after surgery This study aims to improve surgical techniques and patient outcomes in kidney stone treatment.

To evaluate the effect of the T-tilted position on the stone-free rate compared to the standard lithotomy position in retrograde intrarenal surgeries. Common positions include the Trendelenburg position, where the patient is tilted head-down to help gravity move stones from the upper calyces to the renal pelvis, and the modified lateral decubitus position, which improves access to the lower renal poles. A more recent approach, the modified T-tilt position, combines a slight Trendelenburg tilt with lateral positioning, offering optimal access to both the upper and lower calyces while maintaining patient comfort

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an auto posturotherapy technique on the RFS at three months of patients treated for lower calyceal urinary stones by extracorporeal lithotripsy (ECL) or retrograde flexible ureteroscopy.

The aim of our study is to investigate the effect of 3D imaging technique on the PCNL learning curve in specialist training.

To evaluate the effectiveness of this homework on stone clearance rates after retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) by instructing the patient in the home environment and suggesting percussion and movement/position changes to assist in spontaneous stone passage.

A feasibility randomised controlled trials comparing re-usable versus disposable nephroscope when treating kidney stones during mini-PCNLs