Comparative Efficacy of Digital Flexible Ureteroscopy in Management of Renal Stones in Normal-Weight and Overweight/Obese Patients.

PURPOSE: Overweight and obesity are increasingly prevalent and may influence the outcomes of surgical interventions for kidney stones. This study aimed to compare primary and secondary outcomes between normal-weight and overweight/obese patients undergoing flexible ureteroscopy lithotripsy of kidney stones.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

A study was conducted on 114 patients (73 normal-weight, 41 overweight/obese) who underwent flexible ureteroscopy lithotripsy for kidney stones. Primary outcomes included lithotripsy durations, hospital stay, and median stone size. Secondary outcomes included the stone-free rate, quality of life (QoL) scores, and complications.

RESULTS

No significant differences were observed between the two groups in surgery duration, lithotripsy duration, or hospital stay. While the median stone size at 1-month and 3-month postoperative was comparable between both groups, the stone size exhibited a significantly smaller size at 3 months (all p-values < 0.001). The stone-free rate at 3 months trended significance, with a lower rate in the overweight/obese group (93.2% vs 70.4%, p = 0.035). QoL significantly improved over time (p < 0.001), with most patients reporting no disruption to daily activities after 1 month in all patients.

CONCLUSION

Overweight/obesity might influencing stone-free rate in patients undergoing flexible ureteroscopy lithotripsy for kidney stones, despite similar perioperative outcomes. The flexible ureteroscopy lithotripsy is shown to be effective over time in reducing kidney stone size as well as postoperative QoL regardless of BMI. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and optimize outcomes in this patient population.