(UroToday.com) The 2025 World Congress of Endourology and Uro-Technology included a Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL) focused session featuring innovative work from Steffi Kar Kei Yuen and colleagues on behalf of the Endourology Section of the European Association of Urology, who presented results from the “Suction Technology Utility in Mini-PCNL Study (STUMPS)”.
This global registry represents the first real-world, multicenter effort to characterize practice patterns, equipment use, perioperative strategies, and outcomes of suction mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (SM-PCNL). Given the rapid adoption of suction-assisted technologies in endourology, this registry provides important data on safety, efficacy, and consistency across centers.
Data were prospectively collected from 30 centers in 21 countries between March and November 2024. SM-PCNL was defined as percutaneous nephrolithotomy using a suction nephrostomy sheath of 14–22 Fr with any lithotripsy device. Recorded variables included patient demographics, stone characteristics, operative details, lithotripsy modality, complications, stone-free rates (SFR) at 30 days by NCCT, and reintervention rates. Stone-free status was graded on a standardized scale: Grade A (no fragment), Grade B (single fragment ≤4 mm), and Grade C (multiple fragments or any fragment >4 mm).
A total of 1,707 patients were included, with a median age of 50 years and median stone volume of 1,700 mm³. Nearly all procedures were performed with a single tract (92.9%), most commonly in the supine position (56.5%). Fluoroscopy-only puncture was the preferred access method (70.7%), followed by combined fluoroscopy and ultrasound (25.1%). The Clearpetra sheath was the most frequently used (27.8%), and thulium fiber laser was the most common energy source (26.2%). Median operative time was 45 minutes. A tubeless procedure with stent was performed in nearly half of cases (47.0%).
Complications were generally low. The most frequent were fever requiring only observation (7.3%) or antibiotics (3.3%). Blood transfusions occurred in 1.1% of cases, and sepsis in only 0.2%. Median length of stay was 3 days. At 30-day CT follow-up, complete stone clearance (Grade A) was achieved in 82.4% of patients, with a reintervention rate of just 2.6%.
Steffi Yuen concluded that STUMPS represents the first comprehensive international registry for suction mini-PCNL. The data highlight the diversity of equipment and techniques across global centers, while also demonstrating that suction mini-PCNL achieves high stone-free rates with low complication and reintervention rates. Importantly, the use of standardized imaging follow-up strengthens the reliability of the reported outcomes.
Presented by: Steffi Kar Kei Yuen, MD, Urologist, Hong Kong, China
Written by: Kriselle Madamba, Department of Urology, University of California, Irvine, during the 2025 WCET Annual Meeting, September 8-12, 2025, Phoenix, Arizona USA
References:- Steffi Kar Kei Yuen, Khi Yung Fong, Daniele Castellani, Thomas Tailly, Bhaskar Somani, Jaisukh Kalathia, Vineet Gauhar. Suction Technology Utility in Mini-PCNL Study (STUMPS): Results of a real-world multicenter registry on behalf of the Endourology section of the European Association of Urology and the Suction Mini-PCNL Collaborative Study Group [abstract]. In: World Congress of Endourology and Uro-Technology Annual Meeting, September 8-12, 2025, Phoenix, Arizona