Is Prolonged Operation Time a Predictor for the Occurrence of Complications in Ureteroscopy?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of duration of ureteroscopy for urolithiasis on complication rates (CRs) of the procedure. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 2,010 patients, treated between 2006 and 2011, was done. The operation time (OT) and the occurrence of complications were compared. RESULTS: The overall CR was 14.3% [298 complications, minor complications (Clavien I-II) 91.7%]. The median OT was 35 min [interquartile range (IQR) 20-61]. The OT differed significantly between those without complications [34 min (IQR 20-60)] and those with complications [45 min (IQR 25-76)] (p < 0.0001). The correlation between the OT and the occurrence of complications (r = -0.009648, p < 0.0001) was very weak and passed the level of significance (r = 0.2). The effect size was of minor relevance (Cohen's d = 0.27972). CONCLUSIONS: Longer OT correlates significantly with a higher CR. The effect is however shown to be minor and the overall rate of complications, especially severe ones, is low.