Researchers discovered that patients who had the ultrasound procedure to move kidney stones faced a 70% lower chance of experiencing a recurrence of stones.
Sometimes, all it takes is a gentle nudge.
This is the key finding from a recent study where physicians utilized a handheld ultrasound device to help shift kidney stone fragments in patients.
After surgery to remove kidney stones, nearly 50% of patients still have small fragments left inside their kidneys. Among these individuals, about 25% will need another surgery within five years to address the now-larger fragments.
However, UW Medicine researchers found that those who received the ultrasound procedure to move the stones had a 70% reduced risk of having to return for additional operations. The results were published in August by The Journal of Urology.
“The primary insights from this research indicate that removing fragments can prevent recurrences, and employing a noninvasive, handheld ultrasound device can aid in clearing these kidney stone remnants,” stated Dr. Jonathan Harper, a urologist at UW Medicine and the study’s lead author.
The study was a multisite, randomized, and controlled trial that took place from May 2015 to April 2024, involving 82 participants primarily from the UW Medicine or VA Puget Sound health systems. All participants had kidney stone fragments that had remained for several months, with their ureters free from stones and fragments.
During the trial, 40 individuals received ultrasound treatment to promote the clearing of fragments from their kidneys, while 42 in the control group did not receive this intervention.
In an outpatient setting, while patients were awake, physicians used a wand that emitted ultrasonic waves through the skin to shift the fragments closer to the ureter, enabling natural expulsion, sometimes effectively during the next urination, Harper explained.
Dr. Harper and his co-lead author, Dr. Mathew Sorensen, have been developing this technology and treatment for 15 years. They previously published successes using this same technology, known as burst wave lithotripsy, to break larger stones into smaller pieces in 2022.
The techniques for pushing and fragmenting stones utilize the same ultrasound platform.
Harper expressed optimism that these treatments could soon become standard practice. A company named SonoMotion is working to commercialize the technology, initially developed at the University of Washington.
“I see tremendous potential in this. It could become as routine as going in for a dental cleaning. If you have a few small stones that might lead to issues, you simply schedule an office visit and it could be accomplished in about 30 minutes.”
“This could truly transform how we manage kidney stones,” Harper added.
This study received funding through a grant (P01 DK043881) from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, along with resources from the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System.