“Moving Kidney Stone Fragments with Ultrasound Reduces Risk of Recurrence”

A new study found that moving any remaining kidney stone fragments after kidney stone removal surgery closer to the ureter connected to the bladder using ultrasound pulses (ultrasound with a very short duration) is very effective in preventing stone recurrence. This is based on a paper by researchers at Washington University in the United States recently published in the Journal of Urology, as reported by the health and medical webzine ‘Health Day’ on the 23rd (local time).

A research team led by Professor Jonathan Harper (urology) of Washington University School of Medicine in the United States pointed out that about 50% of patients who had kidney stones surgically removed still had small pieces remaining in their kidneys, which left a risk of recurrence of kidney stones. About a quarter of patients with remaining fragments underwent reoperation to remove stone fragments within five years, and the stone fragments grew larger during that time.

The researchers recruited 82 patients who had had kidney stone fragments in their kidneys for months. About half received a noninvasive procedure that used pulses from an experimental ultrasound wand to move the fragments closer to the ureter, the tube that carries urine from the kidneys to the bladder. About seven out of 10 patients who received the ultrasound treatment never had any more problems, the researchers reported.

The researchers explained that debris is likely to pass naturally near the ureter, and sometimes the debris may pass out the next time the patient urinates. Professor Harper said, “Removing kidney stone debris with a noninvasive portable ultrasound device could become as common as brushing your teeth,” and “If you have a few small stones that could cause problems in the future, you could be done in 30 minutes.”

The paper can be found at the following link (