In a ground-breaking initiative, Tygerberg Hospital’s Department of Urology suspended all non-essential surgeries for two weeks to focus entirely on clearing its growing backlog of kidney stone cases, a campaign aptly dubbed “Battle of the Stones.”

The drive, led by Professor André van der Merwe, Head of Urology at Tygerberg Hospital and Stellenbosch University, was aimed at preventing patients from losing kidneys or their lives due to treatment delays.

“The big problem with kidney stones, is that we simply don’t have enough operating time to treat people fast enough. When someone arrives with a small stone, we often have to place a temporary stent, a small tube between the kidney and bladder, to relieve the blockage. But those stents need to be replaced every three months. If they’re left too long, mineral deposits form on them and the kidney can be destroyed.”

He said that patients who start off with a small, treatable stone often end up losing a kidney or spending weeks in intensive care because of the backlog.

“It’s an ineffective use of resources and devastating for patients,” Van der Merwe said.

To combat the crisis, the department paused all cancer, prostate, and paediatric surgeries, dedicating two full weeks exclusively to kidney stone procedures.

“We called it the Battle of the Stones,” said Van der Merwe. 

“Everyone in the department, consultants, registrars, and students, got behind it. Efficiency improved every day, morale was high, and the results were fantastic.”

One of the brains behind the initiative, and the person who named it, is Dr Cecelia de Klerk, a final-year registrar at Tygerberg Hospital. She said the effort was inspired by the urgent need to address dangerously long surgical waiting times.

“The waiting time for kidney stone surgery is currently around one year,” said Dr De Klerk. “We had more than 100 patients waiting for surgery, but within the last week we managed to operate on 32 cases in total. This is just the beginning. We’re hoping to do more so that we can help patients clear their stones early.”

A key part of the success was the introduction of a new, state-of-the-art laser system, donated by AHG Health, a Somerset West-based medical technology firm.

Van der Merwe said that before the Battle of the Stones, the department faced a backlog of 168 severe cases, each requiring up to four hours of theatre time. “It’s a massive problem,” he said. “These patients are at risk of losing kidneys, becoming septic, or dying simply because we can’t get to them soon enough. This initiative showed what’s possible when we prioritise the problem.”

He hopes hospital management and sponsors will see the value in sustaining the effort.

“People are dying from both cancer and kidney stones,” Van der Merwe said. “The difference is that kidney stones are completely preventable. With adequate operating time and equipment, we can save kidneys and lives. It’s unacceptable that in 2025, patients in a tertiary hospital can still lose a kidney from something so easily treatable.”

AHG Health Managing Director, Rian Nieuwoudt, said the company was proud to support Tygerberg’s initiative.

“AHG was established in 1994 and pioneered mobile extracorporeal kidney stone treatments in South Africa. 

“We are a specialised firm with highly trained engineers who work closely with medical specialists on non-invasive technology. Since 1999, we have been at the forefront of kidney stone laser treatment, and since 2005, prostate laser treatment as well. AHG owns and maintains these sophisticated lasers and accessories, renting them to hospitals, where our product specialists support doctors and theatre staff during every procedure.

“We are also involved in pulmonology, ENT, twin-to-twin syndrome treatments, and neurosurgery. Through our sister company in Germany, we are now developing a next-generation hybrid laser based on insights from over 200,000 procedures performed in South African operating theatres since 1999.”

Professor Van Der Merwe concluded: “While we celebrate the little victories there is still lots of work to be done, but we would need help from more donors.” 

If anyone wants to get involved they can email Professor Van Der Merwe on: arvdm@sun.ac.za

tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za

Weekend Argus 

Source link