In vivo ureteroscopic intrarenal pressures and clinical outcomes: a multi-institutional analysis of 120 consecutive patients

Stefanie M Croghan; Eoghan M Cunnane; Sorcha O'Meara; Muheilan Muheilan; Connor V Cunnane; Kenneth Patterson; Andreas Skolarikos; Bhaskar Somani; Gregory S Jack; James C Forde; Fergal J O'Brien; Michael T Walsh; Rustom P Manecksha; Barry B McGuire; Niall F Davis

doi:10.1111/bju.16169

In vivo ureteroscopic intrarenal pressures and clinical outcomes: a multi-institutional analysis of 120 consecutive patients

BJU Int. 2023 Nov;132(5):531-540. doi: 10.1111/bju.16169. Epub 2023 Sep 13.

Authors

Stefanie M Croghan^{1

2}, Eoghan M Cunnane^{3

4

5}, Sorcha O'Meara^{1

2}, Muheilan Muheilan⁶, Connor V Cunnane^{3

4

5}, Kenneth Patterson⁷, Andreas Skolarikos^{8

9}, Bhaskar Somani^{8

10}, Gregory S Jack¹¹, James C Forde^{2

7}, Fergal J O'Brien¹², Michael T Walsh^{3

4}, Rustom P Manecksha^{6

13}, Barry B McGuire^{14

15}, Niall F Davis^{2

7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (Strategic Academic Recruitment (StAR) Programme), Dublin, Ireland.
² Department of Urology, Blackrock Clinic, Dublin, Ireland.
³ School of Engineering, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
⁴ Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
⁵ Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
⁶ Department of Urology, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
⁷ Department of Urology and Transplantation, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
⁸ European Association of Urology (EAU) Urolithiasis Guidelines Panel, Arnhem, The Netherlands.
⁹ 2nd Department of Urology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
¹⁰ Department of Urology, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
¹¹ Department of Urology, Austin Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
¹² Tissue Engineering Research Group, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
¹³ Department of Surgery, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
¹⁴ Department of Urology, St. Michael's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
¹⁵ Department of Urology, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.

PMID: 37656050
DOI: 10.1111/bju.16169

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the pressure range generated in the human renal collecting system during ureteroscopy (URS), in a large patient sample, and to investigate a relationship between intrarenal pressure (IRP) and outcome.

Patients and methods: A prospective multi-institutional study was conducted, with ethics board approval; February 2022-March 2023. Recruitment was of 120 consecutive consenting adult patients undergoing semi-rigid URS and/or flexible ureterorenoscopy (FURS) for urolithiasis or diagnostic purposes. Retrograde, fluoroscopy-guided insertion of a 0.036-cm (0.014″) pressure guidewire (COMET™ II, Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA, USA) to the renal pelvis was performed. Baseline and continuous ureteroscopic IRP was recorded, alongside relevant operative variables. A 30-day follow-up was completed. Descriptive statistics were applied to IRP traces, with mean (sd) and maximum values and variance reported. Relationships between IRP and technical variables, and IRP and clinical outcome were interrogated using the chi-square test and independent samples t-test.

Results: A total of 430 pressure traces were analysed from 120 patient episodes. The mean (sd) baseline IRP was 16.45 (5.99) mmHg and the intraoperative IRP varied by technique. The mean (sd) IRP during semi-rigid URS with gravity irrigation was 34.93 (11.66) mmHg. FURS resulted in variable IRP values: from a mean (sd) of 26.78 (5.84) mmHg (gravity irrigation; 12/14-F ureteric access sheath [UAS]) to 87.27 (66.85) mmHg (200 mmHg pressurised-bag irrigation; 11/13-F UAS). The highest single pressure peak was 334.2 mmHg, during retrograde pyelography. Six patients (5%) developed postoperative urosepsis; these patients had significantly higher IRPs during FURS (mean [sd] 81.7 [49.52] mmHg) than controls (38.53 [22.6] mmHg; P < 0.001).

Conclusions: A dynamic IRP profile is observed during human in vivo URS, with IRP frequently exceeding expected thresholds. A relationship appears to exist between elevated IRP and postoperative urosepsis.

Keywords: COMET II; adverse events following ureteroscopy; complications of ureteroscopy; endourology; flexible ureterorenoscopy; intrarenal pressure; pressure guidewire; renal pelvic pressure; retrograde pyelography; ureteroscopy.

Grants and funding

Boston Scientific Corporation