Continuous Intrarenal Pressure Monitoring during Endourological Procedures for Stone Disease: A Canary in the Coalmine for Optimizing Patient Safety.

Background: Ureteroscopy is a widely used minimally invasive procedure for treating kidney stones. While ureteroscopy is generally safe and effective, it carries risks of complications that may be associated with elevated intrarenal pressure (IRP) during the procedure. This paper discusses the importance of monitoring and managing IRP during endourological procedures to mitigate the risk of complications.

Summary: We conducted a review on IRP during endourological procedures, combining systematic and narrative approaches, to examine complications, clinical implications, and IRP monitoring practices. Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated strong associations between elevated IRP during endourological procedures and complication risk. Further, cumulative IRP exposure, which considers pressure magnitude and duration, may be a stronger predictor of complication risk than mean or peak IRP values alone. Surveys indicate that while many urologists acknowledge the clinical importance of monitoring and managing IRP, there remains a lack of awareness of real-time IRP monitoring technologies that can alert surgeons to elevated pressures and prompt immediate procedural modifications to mitigate complication risks.

Key messages: Based on current evidence, IRP monitoring should be considered for patients at high risk for pressure-related complications during endourological procedures, which includes a significant proportion of the patient population due to the prevalence of risk factors such as older age, female sex, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. A coordinated effort across the urological community is recommended to generate additional high-quality data to further our understanding of the potential benefits of real-time monitoring technologies.