Treatment options and outcomes for lower pole stone management: are we there yet?

Kidney stone disease (KSD) is on the rise with a life-time prevalence of up to 15% (1). Stones in the lower-pole tend to be more common than other locations in the kidney, and arguably are the most difficult to manage successfully due to challenges with anatomical configuration (2). The various treatment modalities to treatment lower pole stones (LPS) vary from shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) through to ureteroscopy (URS) and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), thereby increasing in their invasiveness. While treatment aims focus on complete stone clearance, this has to be balanced against the risks of the procedure involved (3).