Contemporary trends in urinary tract stone surgery, a regional perspective: Auckland, New Zealand

Background: The aim of the study is to assess the contemporary patterns of utilization of various therapeutic options for the management of nephrolithiasis in our tertiary referral institution in Auckland, New Zealand.

Methods: A retrospective audit was conducted for all urinary stone procedures between January 2007 and December 2013. Procedure-related information was collected for each year. All elective and emergency procedures were included. Data were collected on the elective waiting lists for each procedure.

Results: A total of 5512 stone-related cases were performed during the study period. Six hundred and fifty-three cases were performed in 2007 compared with 945 in 2013. Total number of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNLs) performed, as well as the proportion of PCNL cases, demonstrated a significant decline from 84 (12.9%) in 2007 to 67 (7.1%) in 2013. While the annual numbers of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWLs) have increased, the percentage of ESWLs performed relative to total stone procedures has declined from 33% to 23% over the last 4 years of this audit. There has been a significant rise in the numbers of rigid and flexible ureteroscopies, with these now being the most utilized procedure. The number of patients awaiting elective procedures declined over the duration of this audit, with an associated improvement in meeting annual demand for treatment of nephrolithiasis from 78% in 2007 to 91% in 2013.

Conclusions: A proportional decline in PCNL and ESWL utilization with a significant increase in flexible and rigid ureteroscopic procedures has been observed over this time and this pattern has been associated with improved adherence to surgical targets despite an increasing number of cases.