Decision making and treatment options in endourology post-coronavirus disease 2019 – adapting to the future

Abstract

Purpose of review To describe and critically discuss the most recent evidence regarding the stone management during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and post-COVID-19 era. Recent findings There is a need to plan for resuming the normal elective stone surgery in the post-COVID era, keeping a clear record of all surgeries that is being deferred and identifying subgroups of surgical priorities, as for the de-escalation phase. Telehealth is very useful because it contributes to reduce virus dissemination guaranteeing at the same time an adequate response to patients’ care needs. Once the pandemic is over, teleurology will continue to be utilized to offer cost-effective care to urological patients and it will be totally integrated in our clinical practice. Summary This COVID-19 pandemic represents a real challenge for all national health providers: on the one hand, every effort should be made to assist COVID patients, while on the other hand we must remember that all other diseases have not disappeared in the meanwhile and they will urgently need to be treated as soon as the pandemic is more under control. A correct prioritization of cases when surgical activity will progressively return back to normality is of paramount importance.