Helena Chang, MD, presented “Metabolic Workup of Stones” during the 31st Annual Perspectives in Urology: Point-Counterpoint, on October 18, 2024, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
How to cite: Chang, Helena. “Metabolic Workup of Stones.” October 18, 2024. Accessed Jan 2026. https://grandroundsinurology.com/metabolic-workup-of-stones/
Metabolic Workup of Stones – Summary#
Helena Chang, MD, delves into the medical management of kidney stones, highlighting current guidelines, challenges, and future directions. In this 15-minute presentation, Dr. Chang emphasizes the prevalence of kidney stones, affecting over 10% of Americans, and the critical need for effective metabolic workups to reduce recurrence.
She explains the current AUA guidelines, covering evaluation, dietary interventions, pharmacologic therapies, and follow-up. She acknowledges the widespread use of pharmacologic interventions like thiazide diuretics and potassium citrate but identifies gaps in adherence and follow-up testing.
Dr. Chang envisions a future shaped by randomized trials, artificial intelligence, and multidisciplinary approaches, including advanced practice providers and pharmacist-led telemedicine programs. She stresses the importance of incorporating stone recurrence as a measurable endpoint in future studies, moving beyond surrogate markers from urine studies.
About the 31st Annual Perspectives in Urology: Point Counterpoint conference: Presented by Program Chair and Grand Rounds in Urology Editor-in-Chief E. David Crawford, MD, this conference brought together leading experts in urology, medical oncology, and radiation oncology to discuss and debate the latest topics in genitourinary cancers, primarily prostate cancer and bladder cancer. This interactive conference offered topical lectures, pro/con debates, interesting-case presentations, interactive panel discussions, and interactive audience and faculty networking.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Helena Chang, MD, is a Professor in the Surgery Department, Director of the Revlon/UCLA Breast Center, and a member of Signal Transduction and Therapeutics at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Santa Clara, California. Dr. Chang specializes in cancer and surgical oncology.
