Clinical trial NCT04851171: Semi-rigid Ureteroscopy Versus Flexible Ureteroscopy For the Treatment of Proximal Ureteric Stone
Official title: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Semi-rigid Ureteroscopy and Flexible Ureteroscopy For the Treatment of Proximal Ureteric Stone
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Phase: NA
Conditions: Ureteric Stone
Stone Ureter
Keywords: Urolithiasis
Ureteroscopy
Ureteric stone
Flexible ureteroscopy
Semi-rigid ureteroscopy
Lead sponsor: Hamad Medical Corporation
Sponsor class: INDUSTRY
First posted: 2021-04-20
Enrollment: 140
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The present study is randomized in nature, comparing the stone free rate and complications rate between semi-rigid ureteroscopy (SR-URS) and Flexible Ureteroscopy (F-URS) for the treatment of Proximal Ureteric stone (PUS), whereby the preoperative assessments, procedure and reporting of outcomes will all be standardized.

Detailed description: There are various treatment options that can be used for the treatment of PUS, which include extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL), ureteroscopy (URS), percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), antegrade uretero-lithotripsy, laparoscopy, and rarely, open surgical procedures. However, the standard, and the most frequently used modalities are SWL and ureteroscopy. When comparing the effectiveness in the treatment of Proximal Ureteric stone (PUS) between SWL and URS, SWL has lower rates of complication and morbidity, but URS has a higher likelihood of successfully treating the patient within a single procedure. Additionally, with the advancements in technology and miniaturization of the ureteroscopes, along with the presence of auxiliary instruments such as holmium laser and retrieval baskets, ureteroscopy is more widely used.

In the proximal ureter, SR-URS tends to encounter difficulties in accessing the stone, but F-URS aids in overcoming those difficulties. As a result, the use of F-URS for PUS has indicated a strong success rate with lower likelihood of complications. When comparing the drawbacks of the two types of modalities, F-URS tends to be more expensive, and requires auxiliary instruments. And SR-URS tends to have lower success rate along with an increased rate in complications.

The precedence of FURS over SR-URS in the treatment of PUS is yet to be extensively studied. Presently there are only five studies that have compared the two modalities of treatment. But, due to the lack standardization of variables, procedure, follow-up imaging and reporting of outcomes in the past studies, it is imperative to conduct study that is prospective and randomized in nature.

The present study is randomized in nature, comparing the stone free rate and complications rate between SR-URS and F-URS for the treatment of PUS, whereby the preoperative assessments, procedure and reporting of outcomes will all be standardized.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Age ≥ 18 years
* Single proximal ureteric stone indicated for active treatment with ureteroscopy (stented or non-stented)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Solitary Kidney
* Bilateral ureteric stones
* Ipsilateral multiple simultaneous ureteric stones
* Ipsilateral kidney stone
* Active UTI
* Coagulopathy diseases
* Ipsilateral ureteral anomalies, ureteral disorder (tumor or stricture) or previous ureteral open surgery.
* Pregnant patients.
* Unable to give informed consent.
* Patient is not agreeing to go through the randomization.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Stone free rate
timeFrame: Four weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Complication rate
timeFrame: Three Months
measure: To compare stone free rate and complications between patients with ureteric stent and patients without ureteric stent
timeFrame: Three Months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Al-Wakrah
country: Qatar
facility: Al Wakra Hospital
state: Doha
Study officials:
affiliation: Hamad Medical Corporation
name: Ibrahim Al-Nadhari
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Wolf JS Jr. Treatment selection and outcomes: ureteral calculi. Urol Clin North Am. 2007 Aug;34(3):421-30. doi: 10.1016/j.ucl.2007.04.010.
citation: Lee JH, Woo SH, Kim ET, Kim DK, Park J. Comparison of Patient Satisfaction with Treatment Outcomes between Ureteroscopy and Shock Wave Lithotripsy for Proximal Ureteral Stones. Korean J Urol. 2010 Nov;51(11):788-93. doi: 10.4111/kju.2010.51.11.788. Epub 2010 Nov 17.
citation: Assimos D, Krambeck A, Miller NL, Monga M, Murad MH, Nelson CP, Pace KT, Pais VM Jr, Pearle MS, Preminger GM, Razvi H, Shah O, Matlaga BR. Surgical Management of Stones: American Urological Association/Endourological Society Guideline, PART II. J Urol. 2016 Oct;196(4):1161-9. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2016.05.091. Epub 2016 May 27.
citation: Hyams ES, Monga M, Pearle MS, Antonelli JA, Semins MJ, Assimos DG, Lingeman JE, Pais VM Jr, Preminger GM, Lipkin ME, Eisner BH, Shah O, Sur RL, Mufarrij PW, Matlaga BR. A prospective, multi-institutional study of flexible ureteroscopy for proximal ureteral stones smaller than 2 cm. J Urol. 2015 Jan;193(1):165-9. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2014.07.002. Epub 2014 Jul 9.
citation: Alkan E, Saribacak A, Ozkanli AO, Basar MM, Acar O, Balbay MD. Flexible Ureteroscopy Can Be More Efficacious in the Treatment of Proximal Ureteral Stones in Select Patients. Adv Urol. 2015;2015:416031. doi: 10.1155/2015/416031. Epub 2015 Nov 4.
citation: Galal EM, Anwar AZ, El-Bab TK, Abdelhamid AM. Retrospective comparative study of rigid and flexible ureteroscopy for treatment of proximal ureteral stones. Int Braz J Urol. 2016 Sep-Oct;42(5):967-972. doi: 10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2015.0644.
citation: Karadag MA, Demir A, Cecen K, Bagcioglu M, Kocaaslan R, Altunrende F. Flexible ureterorenoscopy versus semirigid ureteroscopy for the treatment of proximal ureteral stones: a retrospective comparative analysis of 124 patients. Urol J. 2014 Nov 1;11(5):1867-72.