Kidney Stones clinical trials at University of California Health

Flexible ureteroscopy is characterized as first-line therapy for the treatment of renal stones < 2 cm in size. This involves passing a flexible endoscope into the renal pelvis through the urethra, bladder and ureter in a retrograde fashion. Holmium: YAG laser remains the preferred energy modality to subsequently break stones of this size into fragments small enough to remove or pass spontaneously through the ureter. Advances in the understanding of laser energy delivery have led to the recent commercialization of the "Moses Effect" - the creation of vapor bubbles/cavities between the laser fiber tip and the target through which laser energy can more efficiently travel. Lumenis was the first to optimize this laser phenomenon and market it as "Moses Technology" in their Lumenis Pulse P120H laser system. This system is already FDA approved through the 510K pathway and is commercially available. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential of Moses laser technology to reduce operative time compared to non-Moses settings for ureteroscopic treatment of nephrolithiasis.

The decision to use standard percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) versus mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (MIP) has been a subject of much debate in the urological community. The investigators propose a randomized controlled trial to compare the operative outcomes and complications of mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mini-PCNL) versus standard PCNL for renal stones. The results of this study will help guide the decision making regarding these two procedures in the US population and provide further insight into the utility and safety of these procedures. A cost analysis will be performed, and it is hypothesized that the reusable components of the Storz MIP set will result in lower costs of the mini-PCNL procedure compared to standard PCNL.

The aim of this research is to determine an effective antibiotic regimen following definitive surgical therapy of kidney stones caused by bacterial infection (struvite stones).

This study will assess patients who have recurrent urinary tract infections and kidney stones which are not blocking the kidney or causing other problems. Currently, we don't know if taking out these stones will improve recurrent urinary tract infections or not. Patients will make a decision with their surgeon about removing or monitoring their stone(s). Whether or not their infections continue with surgery or monitoring will be noted, and this information may help to inform future treatment decisions. The purpose of this study is to assess if treatment of these asymptomatic stones affects the rate of recurrent urinary tract infections.