Thought Leadership

Early surgical intervention is important for removing obstructive kidney stones. However, when dealing with smaller stones, it may be better to leave them alone.

According to Innes et al, early intervention of smaller stones (<5mm) leads to a 14% increase in treatment failure compared with spontaneous passage*. Patients who are older, female, prone to hydronephrosis and have proximal stones are also at higher risk of treatment failure.

Sources:
Which Patients Should Have Early Surgical Intervention for Acute Ureteral Colic?

Despite growing patient demand, urology has consistently struggled to recruit and retain female urologists. A recent interview in the Urology Times suggests that gender biases may be a driving factor.

According to Dr Jennifer Miles-Thomas, M.D., female urologists are often the subject of offensive comments and gender-stereotypic perceptions at work*.

Listening actively and developing a retention strategy are some ways that urology practices can help women tackle these unseen barriers!

*Source:
Dr. Jennifer Miles-Thomas addresses the gender gap in urology

Kidney stones can strike at the most unexpected time, and some parents from our kidney stone patient community have been delaying treatment due to a lack of childcare arrangements.

Studies have shown that patients who delay treatment by more than 45 days are up to 15 times more likely to have an unplanned clinic visit, and 5 times more likely to develop infections*. Offering some flexibility in treatment scheduling can help to ease patients’ stress and help them to receive timely care.

*Source:
MP75-15 The Consequences Of Delaying Stone Treatment