Relocation of lower pole renal stones helps improve the stone-free rate during flexible ureteroscopy with a low complication rate

To compare the efficacy and safety of relocating the lower pole stones to a favorable pole during flexible ureteroscopy with in situ lithotripsy for the treatment of 10–20 mm lower pole stone (LPS).

This study was a prospective analysis of patient outcomes who underwent an FURS procedure for the treatment of 10–20 mm lower pole renal stones from January 2020 to November 2022. The patients were randomized into a relocation group or in situ group. The LPSs were relocated into a calyx, during lithotripsy in the relocation group was performed, whereas the in situ group underwent FURS without relocation. All the procedures were performed by the same surgeon. The patients’ demographic data, stone characteristics, perioperative parameters and outcomes, stone-free rate (SFR), complications, and overall costs were assessed retrospectively.

A total of 90 patients were enrolled and analyzed in this study (45 per group) with no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, gender, BMI, diabetes, hypertension, stone size, number, laterality, composition, and density. The mean operation time, total energy consumption, postoperative stay, and complications were similar between the groups. Both groups had similar SFR at 1 day postoperative follow-up (p = 0.091), while the relocation group achieved significantly higher SFR 3 months later (97.8% vs 84.4%, p = 0.026). The relocation group also had a significantly higher WisQol score than the in situ group (126.98 vs 110.18, p < 0.001).

A satisfactory SFR with a relatively low complication rate was achieved by the relocation technique during the FURS procedure.