Economic Burden of Imaging and Interventions in Endourology: A Worldwide Cost Analysis from European Association of Urology Young Academic Urology Endourology and Urolithiasis Working Party

<b><i>Background and Objective:</i></b> The cost of imaging and interventions in the surgical field varies between countries and sometimes within different regions of the same country. Procedural cost takes into account equipment, consumables, operating room, surgical, anesthetic and nursing teams, radiology, medications, and hospital stay. Health care systems therefore face an incredible burden related to investigations and surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to collect costs of imaging and interventions for kidney calculi across different hospitals and health care systems in the world. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> An online shared Google spreadsheet was created by the European Association of Urology Young Academic Urology urolithiasis group. The survey consisted of the cost of four radiological imaging (ultrasound of the urinary tract [USS], plain X-ray radiography of the abdomen including kidneys, ureter, and bladder [XRKUB], noncontrast-enhanced computerized tomography [CTKUB], and contrast-enhanced CT with urographic phase [CTU]) and seven interventions (endoscopic laser treatment of renal stones, ureteroscopic treatment or extraction of ureteral stones, percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), insertion of ureteral stent, diagnostic ureteroscopy, and cystolitholapaxy). A chosen representative from each country collected and collated the data, and this was converted to Euros (€). <b><i>Key Findings and Limitations:</i></b> Data were collected from 32 countries, which include Turkey, Armenia, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Brazil, Chile, Qatar, Peru, Israel, Singapore, Thailand, Colombia, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Asia, North America, 15 countries from the European continent, and the United States. The mean cost of USS, XRKUB, CTKUB, and CTU was 51.3 € (range: 2-160 €), 27.1 € (range: 2.5-187 €), 105.8 € (range: 19-405 €), and 171.5 € (range: 19-674 €), respectively. Similarly, the cost of endoscopic laser treatment of renal stones, ureteroscopic treatment/extraction of ureteral stones, PCNL, insertion of ureteral stent, diagnostic ureteroscopy, and cystolitholapaxy was 1942.6 € (range: 100-7887 €), 1626.8 € (range: 80-9787 €), 2884.6 € (range: 110-12642 €), 631 € (range: 110-2787 €), 861.6 € (range: 3-2667 €), and 876 € (range: 19-3457 €), respectively. Wide differences in cost between countries were found within the study. <b><i>Conclusions and Clinical Implications:</i></b> This study highlights the significant economic impact of kidney stone management on health care systems worldwide. There seem to be significant disparities between costs, and this study shows the social and economic inequalities in health care access, which can differ significantly between private and public health care. These results can aid policymakers to address these disparities and perhaps to learn from other health care providers.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Endourology
Published
2025-02-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1089/end.2024.0673
Citations
13
Primary Topic
Kidney Stones and Urolithiasis Treatments
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
19.74
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article

Economic Burden of Imaging and Interventions in Endourology: A Worldwide Cost Analysis from European Association of Urology Young Academic Urology Endourology and Urolithiasis Working Party

Patrick Juliebø‐Jones, Arman Tsaturyan, Felipe Pauchard, I. Mikoniatis et al.
13 citations
Journal of Endourology
Kidney Stones and Urolithiasis Treatments
19.74
article

Economic Burden of Imaging and Interventions in Endourology: A Worldwide Cost Analysis from European Association of Urology Young Academic Urology Endourology and Urolithiasis Working Party

Patrick Juliebø‐Jones, Arman Tsaturyan, Felipe Pauchard, I. Mikoniatis, Bhaskar Kumar Somani, Michael Chaloupka, Hatem Kamkoum, Pablo Nicolas Contreras, Catalina Solano, Mariela Corrales, Amelia Pietropaolo, Eugenio Ventimiglia, Alba Sierra, Alexandre Danilovic, Lazaros I. Tzelves, Chinnakhet Ketsuwan, Anil Shrestha, Tarık Emre Şener, Yazeed Barghouthy, Frédéric Panthier, Saeed Bin Hamri, Naeem Bhojani, Azimdjon Tursunkulov, Ewa Bres–Niewada, A. Carolien Bouma-Houwert, B. M. Zeeshan Hameed, Vincent De Coninck, Etienne Xavier Keller, L. Dragoş, Thomas O. Tailly, Theodoros Tokas, Jia‐Lun Kwok, Nariman K. Gadzhiev, Khurshid R. Ghani, Johan Cabrera, Christian Beisland, Otaš Durutović
article en
13 citations

Abstract

<b><i>Background and Objective:</i></b> The cost of imaging and interventions in the surgical field varies between countries and sometimes within different regions of the same country. Procedural cost takes into account equipment, consumables, operating room, surgical, anesthetic and nursing teams, radiology, medications, and hospital stay. Health care systems therefore face an incredible burden related to investigations and surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to collect costs of imaging and interventions for kidney calculi across different hospitals and health care systems in the world. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> An online shared Google spreadsheet was created by the European Association of Urology Young Academic Urology urolithiasis group. The survey consisted of the cost of four radiological imaging (ultrasound of the urinary tract [USS], plain X-ray radiography of the abdomen including kidneys, ureter, and bladder [XRKUB], noncontrast-enhanced computerized tomography [CTKUB], and contrast-enhanced CT with urographic phase [CTU]) and seven interventions (endoscopic laser treatment of renal stones, ureteroscopic treatment or extraction of ureteral stones, percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), insertion of ureteral stent, diagnostic ureteroscopy, and cystolitholapaxy). A chosen representative from each country collected and collated the data, and this was converted to Euros (€). <b><i>Key Findings and Limitations:</i></b> Data were collected from 32 countries, which include Turkey, Armenia, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Brazil, Chile, Qatar, Peru, Israel, Singapore, Thailand, Colombia, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Asia, North America, 15 countries from the European continent, and the United States. The mean cost of USS, XRKUB, CTKUB, and CTU was 51.3 € (range: 2-160 €), 27.1 € (range: 2.5-187 €), 105.8 € (range: 19-405 €), and 171.5 € (range: 19-674 €), respectively. Similarly, the cost of endoscopic laser treatment of renal stones, ureteroscopic treatment/extraction of ureteral stones, PCNL, insertion of ureteral stent, diagnostic ureteroscopy, and cystolitholapaxy was 1942.6 € (range: 100-7887 €), 1626.8 € (range: 80-9787 €), 2884.6 € (range: 110-12642 €), 631 € (range: 110-2787 €), 861.6 € (range: 3-2667 €), and 876 € (range: 19-3457 €), respectively. Wide differences in cost between countries were found within the study. <b><i>Conclusions and Clinical Implications:</i></b> This study highlights the significant economic impact of kidney stone management on health care systems worldwide. There seem to be significant disparities between costs, and this study shows the social and economic inequalities in health care access, which can differ significantly between private and public health care. These results can aid policymakers to address these disparities and perhaps to learn from other health care providers.

Journal of EndourologyVol. 39(4)
Hospital Naval Almirante Nef (CL), Riyadh Armed Forces Hospital (SA), University of Crete (GR), St Petersburg University (RU), Father Muller Medical College Hospital (IN), Universidad de Lima (PE), National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR), University of Zurich (CH), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (GR), University of Michigan (US), Southampton Hospital (US), Haukeland University Hospital (NO), Ghent University Hospital (BE), Tan Tock Seng Hospital (SG), Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GB), LMU Klinikum (DE), Sorbonne Université (FR), AZ Klina (BE), Central Asian University (UZ), Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (FR), University Hospital of Zurich (CH), Municipality of Medellín (CO), Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou (FR), Amsterdam Neuroscience (NL), Hôpital Européen (FR), City Hospital No. 40 (RU), Centar za Promociju Nauke (RS), Univerzitetski Klinički Centar Srbije (RS), Michigan Medicine (US), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (ES), Uczelnia Łazarskiego (PL), IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele (IT), Erebouni Medical Center (AM), National Academy of Medical Sciences (NP), University Hospital of Heraklion (GR), Hospital Alemán (AR), Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (BR), Amsterdam University Medical Centers (NL), Hôpital Tenon (FR), Analyse, Recherche, Développement et Evaluation en Endourologie et Lithiase Urinaire (FR), Hamad Medical Corporation (QA), Université de Montréal (CA), Marmara University (TR), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE), University of Amsterdam (NL)
Openalex Percentile: Top 0%
Kidney Stones and Urolithiasis Treatments
19.74
DOISourceOpenAlex
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