The non-invasive stone management procedures such as shock wave lithotripsy and Retrograde ureteropyeloscopic holmium laser lithotripsy have gained global popularity over time. Despite this, the adoption of invasive surgeries still remains significantly high in Australia due to concerns over prolonged treatment duration with the modern treatment options, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

The management of renal stones has seen a paradigm shift in the last two decades. Earlier, the only treatments available for renal stones were open surgeries and medical therapies. With the advent of modern techniques, stone management procedures have become non-invasive and mostly outpatient.

GlobalData’s latest report ‘Stone Management Disposables (Nephrology and Urology Devices) – Global Market Analysis and Forecast Model’ reveals that the total number of surgical procedures performed for stone management witnessed a growth of 5% annually between 2015 and 2021, in Australia. On the other hand, electric shockwave lithotripsy and pre-cutaneous nephrolithotomy procedures witnessed a decline of 5% annually.

Abhishek Pandey, Medical Devices Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Although the best treatment for renal stones is conservative (non-operative), interventions may be required in many cases. Patients usually choose surgical options after trying a few conventional managements rather than facing the prospect of continuous pain associated with the passing of the stone. Even though modern stone management procedures are gaining popularity, they come with complications such as incomplete stone removal, haematuria, ongoing and recurring pain.”

Boston Scientific, Cook Medical and Olympus Corp were the leading players in Australia, accounting for about 75% of the stone management disposables market in 2021.The effect of COVID-19 was observed on the stone management procedures as all the elective surgeries were put on hold during the lockdowns. However, since the relaxations, the market has grown significantly in Q4 2021 reaching to pre-pandemic levels.

Pandey concludes: “Whilst shockwave lithotripsy and pre-cutaneous nephrolithotomy procedures have seen a decline in the last six years, the number of open surgeries has remained stable accounting for 0.5% of all stone management procedures. The increase in overall number of surgeries for stone management, particularly endoscopic procedures, are indicative of increasing prevalence of nephrolithiasis in Australia.”