50. That’s the percentage of patients who have kidney stones removed surgically — but still have small fragments left in their kidneys afterward. Then, half of those people find themselves returning for another operation within five years to remove the (now-larger) fragments.

Can this be prevented?Yes. Researchers at UW Medicine discovered a method to improve patient outcomes the first time around. They found that using a handheld ultrasound device to track and move fragments reduces the need for additional surgeries by 70%.

Their study, published in The Journal of Urology last August, involved 82 patients, nearly all from UW Medicine or VA Puget Sound. During a randomized trial, 40 patients received treatment in a clinic setting, while 42 served as controls. They used an ultrasound pulse technology called burst wave lithotripsy to move fragments toward the ureter for natural expulsion and break down larger stones.

Urologists Dr. Jonathan Harper and Dr. Mathew Sorensen, who developed this technique over 15+ years, hope it will become a routine procedure.

“This could revolutionize kidney stone treatment,” Harper said. He envisions a future where clearing small stones in a 30-minute office visit becomes as common as a dental cleaning.

More research from UW Medicine