On the 12th of September 2024 I attended the annual British Association of Urological Surgeons Endourology Conference in Edinburgh, in order to present an audit I had worked on, alongside surgeons from the urology department at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Our research considered the local rates of stoneless ureteroscopy (a procedure in which a small telescope is passed through the urethra and bladder, into the ureters, to identify and remove stones) in patients with ureteric stones, and aimed to identify factors associated with spontaneous stone passage. We found that stones that are distal (closer to the end of the ureter) and radiolucent (not visible on x-ray) are more likely to pass on their own, indicating that ureteroscopy may prove to be unnecessary. We therefore suggested that patients who have stones with these characteristics should ideally have repeat imaging immediately before surgery, to reduce the rate of redundant procedures and unnecessary harms.
Alongside presenting our own audit, we listened to many other presentations and talks, being given by various different members of the healthcare team - from a specialist nurse, to a foundation year doctor, to a consultant urological surgeon. I was able to gain an improved appreciation of the current topics of interest in the field, as well as take away valuable learning regarding how to best approach and present surgical research.
