An interventional study of Dusting and Basket extraction in Kidney Stone and Ureteral Stone, sponsored by Northwestern University. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 89 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-30.
Sponsored by Northwestern University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The purpose of this study is to determine the differences in stone free results, patient side effects, and patient satisfaction between dusting vs. basket extraction for kidney and ureteral stones (a kidney stone located in the tube between the kidney and bladder) 6 mm and greater in size undergoing ureteroscopic treatment.
Dusting is when a laser is used to break a stone down into tiny fragments that are able to pass through the urine. Basket extraction is when a small wire basket is used to remove stone fragments.
On the day of surgery, the treatment assigned to the patient will be determined by chance, like flipping a coin. Neither the patient nor the study doctor will choose the treatment type. Each patient will have an equal chance of being given either surgical treatment. One group will have stones treated with high-powered laser dusting and the dust produced will pass spontaneously through the urine. The other group will have stones treated with low power laser fragmentation and stones will be removed using a basket. The surgical procedure will not differ from the treatment a patient would receive if he/she were not in this study.
After surgery, participants will complete a pain assessment questionnaire in the outpatient recovery area before being discharged to go home. Participants will also receive a daily email or text message to assess pain and daily activities. Participants will answer these questions daily until pain has resolved and daily activities have returned to baseline levels.
Six weeks after surgery, participants will undergo an ultrasound to assess for swelling of a kidney due to a build-up of urine (called hydronephrosis), which is standard of practice after ureteroscopy. Participants will also return to the urology clinic 12 weeks after surgery for a standard of care follow up visit. At this visit, participants will undergo standard of care procedures known as renal bladder ultrasound and kidney ureter bladder abdominal x-ray to evaluate for stones. Participants will also complete another pain assessment questionnaire at this appointment.
Researchers will review the medical record to evaluate the effectiveness of the surgery at removing kidney stones and preventing kidney stone recurrence as well as to track quality of life outcomes.
509 studies on the registry are indexed under Kidney Calculi; 146 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 168 is above the median of 86 across 391 interventional studies indexed under Kidney Calculi.
Browse Kidney Calculi studies →Northwestern University is the lead sponsor of 1,423 studies on the registry; 198 are open to participants now.
Of its 105 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 78 (74%) have results posted.
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Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
In the "dusting" arm, the ureteroscope will be advanced into the kidney or ureter over an access wire without an access sheath in place. The identified stone will be dusted using a 200 micron Moses laser fiber at a setting of 0.3-0.6 J and 50-120 Hz using the Moses 2.0 laser system. Stone dusting will continue until the surgeon feels the fragments are all negligible in size and would be able to pass. One small piece will be extracted for analysis and the remainder will be left to pass spontaneously. If there is no evidence of injury or swelling of the ureter at the conclusion of the case a stent will be omitted.
Procedure: Dusting
In the Basketing arm, a ureteral access sheath (UAS) will be placed per standard fashion. The ureteroscope will be introduced into the kidney and the stone fragmented at a setting of 0.8-1.0 J and 6-15 Hz. The resultant fragments will be basket extracted through the sheath for analysis. All fragments will be removed until no residual stone remains. At the time of UAS removal the ureter will be inspected. If there is no evidence of ureteral injury or swelling then a stent will be omitted.
Procedure: Basket extraction
Dusting is when a laser is used to break a stone down into tiny fragments that are able to pass through the urine.
Basket extraction is when a small wire basket is used to remove stone fragments.
Stone free rate: clinical
patients with no clinical evidence of kidney stones on the treated side
Time frame: 6 weeks
Stone free rate: imaging
patients with no radiographic evidence of kidney stones on the treated side
Time frame: 6 weeks
Patient quality of life- pain intensity
patient quality of life measures as assessed by the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) questionnaire Pain Intensity - Short Form 3a. Higher score indicates higher pain levels. Lowest score 3, highest score 15.
Time frame: 12 weeks
Patient quality of life- pain interference
patient quality of life measures as assessed by the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) questionnaire Pain Interference - Short Form 6b. Higher scores indicate higher levels of pain interference. Lowest score is 6, highest score is 30.
Time frame: 12 weeks
Return to work
Days missed from work after surgery
Time frame: 12 weeks
Daily activity level
Days until patients have returned to baseline pre-surgery daily activity level
Time frame: 12 weeks
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Ran from Jul 2021 to primary completion in Jul 2023, 23 months.
Of 183 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Kidney Calculi, half reached primary completion within 31 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 13 and three quarters within 54. This study's 23 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 199 studies reached it within 26 months; a quarter within 12 and three quarters within 51.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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