Southampton leads the world in kidney stone treatment research

University Hospital Southampton is the most active place in the world for clinical research into modern ways to treat kidney stones, according to a new study.

The global analysis, published in the journal Urolithiasis, identified the NHS trust as the top publisher around the globe across the last decade.

The accolade highlights one way that UHS is always improving and putting patients first by striving to improve care.

A growing problem

The prevalence of kidney stone disease has been increasing globally over the last decade.

Kidney stones are very common, affecting up to one in 10 people. They form when waste products in the blood collect inside the kidneys and build up to form a hard stone-like lump.

While most kidney stones are small enough to be passed in the urine, larger ones can be extremely painful and must be removed. If left untreated, they can lead to kidney infections or the kidney not working properly.

Top publisher globally

The analysis was conducted by a group of researchers in Turkey. They analysed a total of 3,693 articles on minimally invasive treatments for kidney stones published between 2015 and 2024.

UHS was found to have the highest number of publications globally, at 205 publications. It was also the most highly cited organisation with a total of 1,854 citations, largely driven by the contributions of Professor Bhaskar Somani as the lead publishing clinician worldwide.

Professor Somani’s research journey has been supported by the Research Leaders Programme, which is managed by SoAR on behalf of UHS.

Developing better treatments

Minimally invasive procedures avoid the need for open surgery. They can be used to treat kidney stones with minimal damage to the kidneys and surrounding tissues. Use of these procedures, compared to open surgery, also reduces the time it takes to recover.

They include keyhole surgical procedures such as percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Retrograde intrarenal surgery uses a ureteroscope (a thin, tube-like instrument) inserted via the urethra into the kidney. Endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery uses a combination of these techniques.

They also include non-surgical procedures. One example is extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. This uses targeted ultrasound or x-ray shock waves to break the stones into fragments. These can then be passed in the urine.

Professor Somani said: “It is wonderful that our research at UHS has been recognised in this way.

“Kidney stones are a growing problem worldwide. Our research into minimally invasive procedures is helping to improve care, by preventing complications and hastening recovery.

“Our research directly translates into clinical outcomes and every new technique we develop and refine brings us closer to achieving these outcomes.”