Patient counseling through the pelvicalyceal-shaped labyrinth: in search of an easy understanding of the upcoming stone removal: a pilot study.

Abstract Objective To investigate the impact of a mobile application (app) displaying a visualization of the internal anatomy of the pelvicalyceal system (PCS) and of kidney stones on patient understanding of their affected kidney anatomy and their upcoming percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PCNL). Materials and Methods One-hundred patients who required PCNL were included in this study, and all patients were non-randomly distributed into two groups: counselled using only 3D-reconstructed computed tomography (CT) images (group 1) or using only the “InsKid” app (group 2). Patient data were obtained from CT scans as Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format and converted into stereolithography (STL) format. All patients completed the questionnaire after counselling, and the results were compared between groups. Results Patients from group 2 better understood the anatomy of their affected kidney by 53%; awareness regarding their stone location was better by 32%; the steps of planned surgery, as well as possible complications, were more transparent for patients using the app by 24% and 56%, respectively. The number of patients who were dissatisfied with the mobile counselling dropped by 70%. The average duration of consultation with the 3D reconstruction of CT images was 10.9 ± 0.6 min, while counselling using our program reliably led to a reduction in this duration (7.3 ± 0.5 min). Conclusion The InsKid app is a freely available, easy-to-use educational software that improves patient counselling without considerable financial expense or long waiting periods for use.