Outpatient versus Inpatient Ureterorenoscopy: A Retrospective Dual-Center Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Germany's 2025 hospital reform encourages outpatient care.
• Ureterorenoscopy (URS) is predominantly an inpatient procedure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare outcomes of outpatient versus inpatient ureterorenoscopy (URS).
• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of outpatient URS in the context of healthcare reform.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective dual-center study comparing inpatient (Regensburg) and outpatient (Landshut) URS.
• Analysis of surgical parameters, stone-free status, and Clavien-Dindo complications.
• Chi-square testing to identify risk factors for complications.

Main Results:

• Comparable baseline characteristics between inpatient and outpatient groups.
• Higher rates of Clavien-Dindo grade II complications in the outpatient cohort.
• No significant differences in residual stone rates, surgical time, or postoperative fever.

Conclusions:

• Outpatient URS is a safe and effective alternative to inpatient URS.
• Comparable stone-free rates, operative times, and fever incidence support outpatient URS implementation.
• Higher minor complication rates in outpatient settings may reflect antibiotic management strategies, warranting further investigation.