The rapid increase in the incidence of kidney stones among youth has resulted in a large population of patients who require surgery to removes stones but for whom little evidence exists to guide clinical care. Proper selection of surgical treatment options, which is directed by patient-specific factors and individual treatment goals, is the greatest determinant of successful outcomes.

This study will be conducted by the Pediatric KIDney Stone (PKIDS) Care Improvement Network, which includes 20 pediatric healthcare systems (22 sites) in the United States.

Participants include patients aged 8 to 21 years who undergo a surgical intervention for kidney stones. The surgical interventions include ureteroscopy, shockwave lithotripsy, and percutaneous nephrolithotomy, all of which would be delivered as part of routine clinical care.

Stone clearance will be assessed with ultrasound 6 weeks after surgery, which is the standard of care at all PKIDS sites. Retreatment and unplanned healthcare encounters will be assessed at 3 months after surgery. Patients’ experiences will be measured through questionnaires within 1 week of surgery, 3 weeks after surgery, and 3 months after surgery.

Specific Aim 1: To compare stone clearance, retreatment, and unplanned healthcare encounters for ureteroscopy, shockwave lithotripsy, and percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

Specific Aim 2: To compare patients’ experiences after ureteroscopy, shockwave lithotripsy, and percutaneous nephrolithotomy.