Economics of Stone Management

To determine the most cost-effective treatment strategy for the management of renal or ureteral calculi, the efficacy, cost and complication rates of each procedure, as well as the cost of retreatment for failures must be taken into consideration. International cost comparisons are limited by differing degrees of subsidization of components of health care, such as medication or surgery. Decision tree modeling allows determination of the most cost-effective treatment approach in any given health care system or institution.