This Guideline covers the surgical treatment of patients with ureteral and/or kidney stones and is intended for clinicians evaluating and managing patients with these diseases. The summary presented herein represents Part III of the three-part series dedicated to Surgical Management of Kidney and Ureteral Stones and Future Directions.
This systematic review was conducted in two planned stages, including a search for systematic reviews followed by a search for primary literature.OVID was used to systematically search MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for articles evaluating surgical management of kidney and ureteral stones. The Panel selected control articles that were deemed relevant and the articles were compared with the literature search strategy output. The methodologist then updated the strategy as necessary to capture all control articles. Databases were searched for studies published from January 2000 through May 2025 (week 20). In addition to the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases searches, reference lists of included systematic reviews and primary literature were scanned for potentially useful studies.
The Panel addressed adult and pediatric patients with ureteral and/or kidney stones for whom surgical intervention may be indicated. Each statement herein addressed a particular patient scenario for which the choice of surgical intervention was reviewed and justified. In addition, the Panel reviewed and analyzed the utility of specific surgical techniques, technologies, or medications aimed at improving patient outcomes.
Selection of optimal treatment modalities for patients with kidney and/or ureteral stones is determined by patient factors, urinary tract anatomy, and stone characteristics and are guided by shared decision-making that additionally takes into account patient goals and preferences, resource availability, and physician expertise. This Guideline serves as a resource for clinicians and patients to provide the best available evidence on which to base discussions with patients in a shared decision-making process to arrive at appropriate treatment decisions.
The Journal of urology. 2025 Nov 20 [Epub ahead of print]
Margaret S Pearle, Brian R Matlaga, Jodi A Antonelli, Thomas Chi, Ryan S Hsi, Sennett K Kim, Erin Kirkby, Bodo Knudsen, Kevin Koo, Naim M Maalouf, Vernon M Pais, Ann Paris, Kristina L Penniston, Kymora B Scotland, Lesley H Souter, Nicole Streeper, Gregory Tasian, Kyle D Wood, Justin B Ziemba
Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas., Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland., Department of Urology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina., Department of Urology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama., Department of Urology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California., American Urological Association, Linthicum, Maryland., Department of Urology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio., Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota., Section of Urology, Department of Surgery, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire., Department of Nursing, Langhorne, Pennsylvania., Department of Urology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin., Department of Urology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California., Nomadic Evidence-Based Medicine Methodology, Smithville, Ontario, Canada., Department of Urology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin., Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania., Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.