A randomized trial comparing two surgical techniques for kidney stones has been retracted, with the Editors-in-Chief of African Journal of Urology stating they no longer have confidence in the research presented in the work. The retraction note, published on 6 September 2026, concerns a prospective randomized study that compared flexible ureterorenoscopy (RIRS) with mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (MINI-PCNL) for the treatment of renal stones measuring 20 to 30 millimeters. The original article had been published on 26 March 2022.
The decision to retract rests primarily on questions surrounding the ethical approval of the study. According to the retraction note, the article describes a prospective randomized study involving human participants, but the ethics statement does not provide clear confirmation of approval by an institutional ethics committee.
The Editors-in-Chief also catalogued a series of additional concerns about the reported data. These include unusually high reported body mass index values in Table 1 of the original paper, and discrepancies in the reported stone size values and statistical test results in Table 2, where the reported mean differences and corresponding t-values appear to be inconsistent with one another. The note further cites unclear labeling of the statistical tests, an error in the reported p-value threshold, and inconsistencies in the reported study period between the abstract and the main text of the article.
When the publisher sought answers, none were forthcoming. The retraction note states that the authors have not responded to the concerns raised. Correspondence sent to Rabie Gomaa, Ali Elshazli, and Wael Saber was undeliverable, and none of the remaining authors responded to any correspondence from the publisher regarding the retraction. The retraction note lists Ahmed Sebaey, Ahmed Abou Taleb, Salah Elbashir, Rabie Gomaa, Ali Elshazli, and Wael Saber among the authors of the original study.
The retraction means that the 2022 paper should no longer be cited as reliable evidence on the relative merits of RIRS and MINI-PCNL for stones in the 20 to 30 millimeter range. Readers of the original article, which remains openly accessible as a retracted piece, will now find the retraction note attached to it, documenting the ethics and data integrity concerns and the editors’ loss of confidence in the work.
Subject of Research: Retraction of a randomized trial comparing RIRS and MINI-PCNL for renal stones
Article Title: Retraction Note: Flexible ureterorenoscopy (RIRS) vs. Mini- percutaneous nephrolithotomy (MINI-PCNL) for renal stones 20–30 mm a prospective randomized study
Article References: Sebaey, A., Taleb, A. A., Elbashir, S., Gomaa, R., Elshazli, A., & Saber, W. (2026). Retraction Note: Flexible ureterorenoscopy (RIRS) vs. Mini- percutaneous nephrolithotomy (MINI-PCNL) for renal stones 20–30 mm a prospective randomized study. African Journal of Urology, 32(1), Article 66. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12301-026-00616-z
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1186/s12301-026-00616-z
Keywords: retraction, kidney stones, ureterorenoscopy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy, research ethics, research integrity, African Journal of Urology, randomized trial, statistical discrepancies, surgery, Note, Flexible
News Source: Ophelia Keating. (October 29, 2026). Kidney Stone Surgery Trial Retracted Over Ethics Approval and Data Concerns. Scienmag.
