Researchers analyzed clinical data from more than 93,000 patients with kidney stones enrolled in insurance in the United States and found that approximately 1 in 7 patients developed complications requiring hospitalization or emergency management within 30 days, and the per capita cost of treating complications was $30,000. There are three main methods of kidney stone treatment, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, ureteroscopic lithotripsy, and percutaneous nephrolithotripsy, all three of which require anesthesia. This study found that 12% of patients with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy experienced complications, compared to 15% with ureteroscopic lithotripsy. The average cost of treating complications from percutaneous nephrolithotomy was $47,000, while the average cost of treating complications from extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy was $32,000. Notably, patients hospitalized for treatment of multiple kidney stones were less likely to have complications. Lead author Charles Scales Jr. PhD, an assistant professor at Duke University, addressed the study results by asking the question: Why do these complications occur? And how should they be avoided? The study provides a good starting point for an in-depth examination of these questions. From the patient’s perspective, kidney stone surgery is lower risk and non-ambulatory, while facing emergency care or unplanned hospitalization after surgery is more difficult to accept. Kidney stone attacks are very painful, and the patients are usually young adults. These patients are not only faced with the cost of expensive treatment, but also with the financial losses associated with taking time off from work. The number of patients who experience complications from surgical treatment of kidney stones is high and creates a greater medical burden. The reasons for the different rates of complications and treatment costs among the three treatment modalities for kidney stones need further study.