Pediatric KIDney Stone (PKIDS) Care Improvement Network

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 is a prospective cohort study. Investigators seek to compare stone clearance, re-treatment, and unplanned healthcare encounters for ureteroscopy, shockwave lithotripsy, and percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Additionally, Investigators also seek to compare patients' experiences after ureteroscopy, shockwave lithotripsy, and percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Setting/Participants: This study will be conducted by the Pediatric KIDney Stone (PKIDS) Care Improvement Network, which includes 23 pediatric healthcare systems (25 sites) in the United States. Patient participants include patients aged 8 to 21 years who undergo a surgical intervention for kidney stones as part of their clinical care. The surgical interventions include ureteroscopy, shockwave lithotripsy, and percutaneous nephrolithotomy, all of which would be performed as part of routine clinical care. Study Interventions and Measures: Stone clearance will be assessed with ultrasound (obtained as part of clinical care) 6 weeks after surgery, which is the standard of care at all PKIDS sites. Re-treatment and unplanned healthcare encounters will be assessed within the first 3 months after surgery. Patients' experiences will be measured through questionnaires administered pre-operatively and within 3 months after surgery.