Asymptomatic Renal Calculi in Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common and have a large burden of disease at the population level. This study will assess the effectiveness of removing kidney stones in patients who have recurrent UTIs. The role of upper urinary tract calculi in UTIs is not well understood. Although there is some evidence that some metabolic stones, such as calcium oxalate, can harbor bacteria, it is not known if this is clinically significant or if these contribute to clinical infections. This study aims to advance the level of evidence in the treatment of non-obstructing urolithiasis in the context of recurrent UTIs. The aim of this study is to: 1\. Assess the effects of treatment of non-obstructing upper urinary tract calculi on recurrent UTIs in the first prospective observational trial in this area Patients who meet inclusion criteria will make a decision about treating their asymptomatic stones or not with their surgeon as per usual clinical care. The primary outcome will be the rate of recurrent urinary tract infections for patients, comparing patients who did and did not have their stones treated. Patient data is securely stored in de-identified fashion in REDCAP database, following all the secure protocols of the institutions involved. The recruitment goal is 80 patients based on power calculations to detect the effect size. Statistical analysis will be performed between the two groups, with t-test used for normally distributed numerical data and fisher's exact or chi-square tests for categorical data.