MCh Urology

MCh Urology thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for each

An MCh dissertation is expected to be operative and quantitative, which in urology means stone-free rates, symptom scores and stricture recurrence measured against a stated imaging or endoscopic standard. The caseload is rarely the problem; the constraints are imaging at follow-up, consumables that the patient often pays for, and the fact that a man who is voiding well will not return for a flow rate. Examiners press on how stone-free status was defined and with what imaging, on whether symptom scores were self-completed in a proper translation, and on complications graded by a recognised system rather than described in prose.

Topic register · 42 entries · 8 designs^[6]

Read the register MCh Urology thesis help

NMC PGMER-2023
NBEMS 180 days / 26 months
UGC 2018 · under 10%
ICMR 2017 · ethics

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The MCh Urology register

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Filter by design or by feasibility, or search the titles and outcomes. Filtering only hides entries: every topic stays on the page, so nothing is lost if you clear the filters or arrive by a deep link.

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Study design

Feasibility in a teaching unit

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Showing 42 of 42 topics

The sample figure on each plate is a planning range read off the design, not a calculated answer. Your own number comes from a calculation against your own assumptions — the difference you would call clinically meaningful, the variability in your setting, the power you want — and it belongs in the synopsis with those assumptions written beside it.

Topic 01 / 42
Link to this entry
Mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy compared with retrograde intrarenal surgery for renal calculi of one to two centimetres
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
Stone-free status on non-contrast CT at one month, defined by a stated residual fragment size
Collection time
18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 30–45 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a flexible ureteroscope with laser and a mini-PCNL set, both serviceable throughout
- non-contrast CT available for every patient at one month
- a surgeon doing both procedures regularly
What derails it
A flexible ureteroscope breaks and goes away for repair for weeks, which stops one arm dead; confirm there is a second scope or a service contract with a loaner before the protocol is submitted.
Topic 02 / 42
Link to this entry
Guy's Stone Score and complications after standard percutaneous nephrolithotomy graded by the modified Clavien system
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Stone-free status at one month and modified Clavien grade of complications by stone score
Collection time
12–15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 80–120 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- preoperative non-contrast CT for scoring every case
- a PCNL volume of at least eight to ten a month
- complications graded prospectively on a Clavien proforma
What derails it
Complication grading must be done prospectively with a written definition for each grade, because retrospective grading from notes systematically loses the grade one and two events and makes the series look cleaner than it was.
Topic 03 / 42
Link to this entry
Tubeless compared with standard percutaneous nephrolithotomy: analgesic requirement and hospital stay
DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Total postoperative analgesic consumption and length of hospital stay
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 30–45 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a PCNL volume sufficient for both arms
- a written criterion defining which cases may be closed tubeless
- CTRI registration before the first patient is enrolled
What derails it
A tubeless closure is abandoned whenever there is bleeding or residual stone, so allocation breaks in exactly the more difficult cases; record every crossover with its reason and analyse as allocated.
Topic 04 / 42
Link to this entry
Preoperative urine culture, stone culture and systemic inflammatory response after percutaneous nephrolithotomy
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome within 48 hours of surgery by stated criteria
Collection time
12–15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–150 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- microbiology willing to culture stone fragments and pelvic urine separately
- a stated perioperative antibiotic protocol applied to everyone
- postoperative vital signs and counts recorded at fixed intervals
What derails it
Stone fragments must be sent in a sterile container straight from theatre, and a fragment handed over at the end of the list in a gauze piece is worthless; brief the theatre staff and the lab on the pathway first.
Topic 05 / 42
Link to this entry
Stone-free rate after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for renal calculi under two centimetres, by stone attenuation on CT
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Stone-free status at three months by a stated imaging definition
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 80–120 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a lithotripter in regular service with consistent energy settings
- preoperative non-contrast CT with attenuation measured by a fixed region-of-interest technique
- follow-up imaging at a fixed interval
What derails it
Stone-free status assessed by ultrasound and by CT can give quite different figures, so fix one imaging method for the primary outcome and use it for every patient rather than whatever was done that day.
Topic 06 / 42
Link to this entry
Tamsulosin compared with silodosin as medical expulsive therapy for distal ureteric calculi under ten millimetres
DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Spontaneous stone expulsion within four weeks confirmed by imaging
Collection time
12–15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 45–65 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- non-contrast CT or ultrasound with plain film to confirm size and position
- both drugs available for the study period
- CTRI registration and a stated rescue analgesia protocol
What derails it
Patients who pass the stone at home do not bring it and do not come back, so expulsion has to be confirmed by imaging at a fixed date and non-attenders chased by telephone, or the outcome is self-reported.
Topic 07 / 42
Link to this entry
Stent compared with no stent after uncomplicated ureteroscopic lithotripsy
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Ureteric Stent Symptom Questionnaire score and unplanned revisit within one week
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 35–50 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a ureteroscopy volume sufficient for both arms
- a written definition of an uncomplicated procedure applied at the end of surgery
- a translated Ureteric Stent Symptom Questionnaire
What derails it
The decision to leave a stent is made on the surgeon's assessment of ureteric trauma, so the no-stent arm will always contain the easier cases unless allocation happens after a stated intraoperative checklist is completed.
Topic 08 / 42
Link to this entry
Ureteric Stent Symptom Questionnaire scores and their determinants in patients with an indwelling double-J stent
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Ureteric Stent Symptom Questionnaire domain scores with stent length, position and duration
Collection time
9–12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 120–180 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a translated and pretested Ureteric Stent Symptom Questionnaire
- a plain film or ultrasound documenting stent position
- a clinic where stented patients attend before removal
What derails it
Stent position may account for a good part of the symptom score, so the film must be taken at a stated interval after insertion for every patient rather than relying on the immediate postoperative check.
Topic 09 / 42
Link to this entry
Twenty-four hour urine metabolic abnormalities in recurrent stone formers
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Distribution of hypercalciuria, hyperoxaluria, hypocitraturia and hyperuricosuria on a twenty-four hour collection
Collection time
12–15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 80–120 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- laboratory capacity for urinary calcium, oxalate, citrate and uric acid
- containers with the correct preservative and clear collection instructions
- patients off treatment and on their usual diet at the time of collection
What derails it
A twenty-four hour collection done as an outpatient is incomplete more often than not, so verify every sample by urine creatinine against body weight and report how many collections you had to reject.
Topic 10 / 42
Link to this entry
Stone composition and its association with urinary and dietary factors in renal calculi
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
Distribution of stone composition on a stated analytical method with urinary parameters
Collection time
15–18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 80–120 stones, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- access to stone analysis by infrared spectroscopy or an equivalent method
- an arrangement for collecting and storing fragments from every procedure
- a pretested dietary history tool
What derails it
Chemical stone analysis is not available in most institutions and outside laboratories charge per sample, so establish the method, the cost and who pays before the synopsis, and do not accept wet chemical analysis as equivalent to spectroscopy.
Topic 11 / 42
Link to this entry
Ultrasound with plain radiography against non-contrast CT in acute ureteric colic
DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound with plain film for detecting a ureteric calculus against CT as reference
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 120–180 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- ultrasound and CT both available to emergency patients
- the ultrasound performed and reported before the CT is seen
- a radiologist reporting both to a fixed template
What derails it
If the same radiologist does the ultrasound and then the CT, the index test is not independent, so either use different readers or ensure the ultrasound report is recorded and sealed before the CT is performed.
Topic 12 / 42
Link to this entry
Management and complications of encrusted forgotten ureteric stents
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Number and type of procedures required for complete stent removal and stone clearance
Collection time
4–5 months of record review over three to five years
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40–80 archived cases, limited by what the period contains
What your unit must already have
- theatre records identifying stent removals with encrustation
- imaging reports documenting the stone burden
- an ethics waiver for record review
What derails it
These patients are often coded simply as stent removal, so a register search on that term alone will bury your cases among routine removals; build the list from imaging reports or operative notes mentioning encrustation.
Topic 13 / 42
Link to this entry
Monopolar compared with bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate: symptom improvement and perioperative sodium change
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
International Prostate Symptom Score at three months and change in serum sodium at the end of resection
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 35–50 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- both resectoscope systems available and serviceable throughout
- serum sodium measured immediately before and after resection
- a translated and pretested International Prostate Symptom Score
What derails it
Resection weight and operating time vary between surgeons as well as between energy sources, so record both and the gland volume, otherwise the sodium difference you report may turn out to be a difference in resection time.
Topic 14 / 42
Link to this entry
Transurethral resection compared with holmium laser enucleation for prostates above eighty grams
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
International Prostate Symptom Score and maximum flow rate at three months
Collection time
18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 25–40 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a holmium laser with a morcellator and a surgeon past the learning curve
- uroflowmetry available at every follow-up visit
- a prostate volume measurement by a consistent method
What derails it
Enucleation has a long learning curve and a thesis spanning it will compare an experienced resection against an inexperienced enucleation, so state the surgeon's prior case numbers or restrict to a surgeon already past it.
Topic 15 / 42
Link to this entry
Tamsulosin alone compared with tamsulosin and dutasteride in benign prostatic hyperplasia with larger prostates
DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
International Prostate Symptom Score at six months with change in prostate volume
Collection time
15–18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40–60 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- both drugs available for six months of treatment per patient
- transrectal or transabdominal prostate volume measured by a consistent method
- CTRI registration and a translated symptom score
What derails it
Men whose symptoms improve stop buying the tablets and stop attending, so dispense the drugs from the study and count returned strips, otherwise adherence and follow-up fail together in the same patients.
Topic 16 / 42
Link to this entry
Factors associated with successful trial without catheter after acute urinary retention in benign prostatic hyperplasia
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Successful voiding without recatheterisation within 48 hours of catheter removal
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–150 men, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a stated protocol for alpha blocker before catheter removal
- drained volume at catheterisation recorded accurately
- prostate volume and post-void residual measured by ultrasound
What derails it
The drained volume at the initial catheterisation is among the variables you most need, and it is the one the casualty staff record by guess, so insist on a measured volume in a graduated bag and exclude cases where it was not measured.
Topic 17 / 42
Link to this entry
International Prostate Symptom Score, prostate volume and post-void residual urine in men attending the urology outpatient clinic
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Relation of symptom score to ultrasound prostate volume and post-void residual volume
Collection time
9–12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 250–400 men, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a translated and pretested International Prostate Symptom Score, self-completed
- ultrasound for prostate volume and residual urine by a consistent technique
- a clinic load of men with lower urinary tract symptoms
What derails it
Post-void residual can vary widely between measurements in the same man, so measure it at a stated time after a comfortable void and, ideally, twice; a single opportunistic reading is not a usable variable.
Topic 18 / 42
Link to this entry
Pressure-flow urodynamics in men with lower urinary tract symptoms and equivocal flow rates
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
Distribution of bladder outlet obstruction and detrusor underactivity on pressure-flow study
Collection time
18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 50–80 men, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a urodynamics machine with trained staff and a private room
- uroflowmetry and residual measurement before the study
- a stated definition of equivocal flow for inclusion
What derails it
Urodynamics in a noisy shared room with the patient embarrassed produces traces that cannot be interpreted, so a dedicated slot and room are not a convenience but a requirement for the data to exist at all.
Topic 19 / 42
Link to this entry
Serum PSA and digital rectal examination against transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy histopathology
DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Sensitivity and specificity of PSA thresholds and abnormal rectal examination for prostate cancer on biopsy
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–150 men, governed by the expected proportion with cancer, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- PSA assayed by one method in the institution
- transrectal ultrasound-guided systematic biopsy with a stated core number
- histopathology reported with grade group
What derails it
PSA must be drawn before the rectal examination and before any catheterisation or instrumentation, and in a busy clinic the sequence gets reversed, which raises the value and corrupts your index test.
Topic 20 / 42
Link to this entry
Stage and grade group at presentation in prostate carcinoma
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Distribution of clinical stage and ISUP grade group at diagnosis
Collection time
3–4 months of record review over three to five years
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–200 archived cases, limited by what the period contains
What your unit must already have
- a histopathology archive reporting grade group or Gleason score
- staging imaging reports available in the records
- an ethics waiver for record review
What derails it
Older reports give only a Gleason score and the conversion to grade group is not always unambiguous from a summed score, so state the conversion rule you used and report cases where the primary and secondary patterns were not recorded.
Topic 21 / 42
Link to this entry
Recurrence of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer after transurethral resection with single immediate intravesical chemotherapy
DesignCohortFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Cystoscopically confirmed recurrence within twelve months of resection
Collection time
12 months of enrolment with twelve months of follow-up
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 60–90 patients allowing for attrition, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- intravesical chemotherapy available within the stated window after resection
- check cystoscopy at three-monthly intervals
- histopathology reporting stage and grade on every specimen
What derails it
Check cystoscopy is uncomfortable and patients skip it once they feel well, so recurrence detection depends on attendance; record the actual cystoscopy dates for each patient rather than assuming the protocol schedule was followed.
Topic 22 / 42
Link to this entry
Clinicopathological profile of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder with documented tobacco exposure
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Distribution of stage and grade at diagnosis with recorded tobacco and occupational exposure
Collection time
10–12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–150 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- histopathology with stage and grade on every resection specimen
- a pretested exposure history questionnaire administered at diagnosis
- cystoscopy findings documented on a template
What derails it
Tobacco use here includes chewing as well as smoking, and a questionnaire that asks only about cigarettes will record most of your patients as unexposed; ask about each form with quantity and duration separately.
Topic 23 / 42
Link to this entry
Diagnostic yield of a structured evaluation of painless gross haematuria
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Proportion in whom a cause is identified after a stated protocol of imaging, cytology and cystoscopy
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–150 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- cystoscopy available for all enrolled patients
- upper tract imaging by a stated modality for everyone
- urine cytology reported by the pathology department
What derails it
Patients whose bleeding stops assume the problem has gone and do not return for cystoscopy, so the yield you report applies only to those who completed the protocol; count and report the dropouts at each step.
Topic 24 / 42
Link to this entry
Recurrence after anastomotic compared with buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty for bulbar stricture
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
Recurrence within one year, defined by stated symptomatic, flow rate or endoscopic criteria
Collection time
5–6 months of record review with clinic recall
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40–80 archived cases, limited by what the period contains
What your unit must already have
- a reconstructive urology practice with an operative archive
- follow-up uroflowmetry or calibration documented in the files
- an ethics waiver plus consent for recall assessment
What derails it
Recurrence is defined differently in every file, from a complaint of poor stream to a failed calibration, so set one operational definition and apply it to every case at recall rather than accepting what the notes call recurrence.
Topic 25 / 42
Link to this entry
Direct vision internal urethrotomy compared with urethroplasty for short bulbar urethral strictures
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
Recurrence-free status at one year by stated flow rate and endoscopic criteria
Collection time
18 months of enrolment with twelve months of follow-up
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 25–40 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- both procedures performed routinely in the unit
- uroflowmetry at every follow-up visit
- retrograde urethrography or calibration at a stated interval
What derails it
Patients offered an endoscopic procedure rather than open surgery are usually those with a shorter or softer stricture, so unless you apply a written length criterion on urethrography the arms differ in the disease itself.
Topic 26 / 42
Link to this entry
Retrograde urethrography and sonourethrography against intraoperative findings in anterior urethral stricture
DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Agreement of imaging with intraoperative stricture length and site
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 50–80 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- radiology support for retrograde urethrography to a fixed technique
- an ultrasound machine and an operator trained in sonourethrography
- intraoperative length measured with a ruler and recorded before the imaging report is consulted
What derails it
Stricture length on urethrography depends on the obliquity of the film and the pressure of injection, so fix the projection and technique, otherwise your index test varies more than the disease.
Topic 27 / 42
Link to this entry
Laparoscopic compared with open dismembered pyeloplasty for pelviureteric junction obstruction
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
Symptom relief and improvement in drainage on renogram at six months
Collection time
18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 20–35 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- laparoscopic suturing expertise in the unit
- access to a diuretic renogram before and after surgery
- a pelviureteric junction caseload the unit can actually supply
What derails it
Renogram slots are the bottleneck rather than the operating, and a nuclear medicine department that runs one session a week will not accommodate two scans for forty patients inside the window; book capacity in advance.
Topic 28 / 42
Link to this entry
Change in differential renal function on diuretic renogram after relief of upper tract obstruction
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Differential function of the affected kidney at three months compared with the preoperative value
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40–70 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a nuclear medicine facility with a consistent diuretic protocol
- hydration and diuretic timing standardised for every study
- ultrasound to document hydronephrosis grade
What derails it
Differential function varies with hydration and the timing of the diuretic, so the protocol must be identical before and after; a preoperative scan done elsewhere under a different protocol cannot be used as the baseline.
Topic 29 / 42
Link to this entry
Outcome of tubularised incised plate urethroplasty for distal hypospadias assessed by the HOSE score
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Hypospadias Objective Scoring Evaluation at three months with fistula and meatal stenosis recorded
Collection time
15–18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 30–50 children, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- paediatric anaesthesia support and fine instrumentation
- a hypospadias caseload of at least two a month
- photographic documentation with consent for scoring
What derails it
A fistula may declare itself months after the early review, so a three-month outcome must be stated as early outcome and the follow-up interval reported for every child rather than implying a final result.
Topic 30 / 42
Link to this entry
Percutaneous nephrostomy compared with retrograde stenting for decompression in obstructive uropathy with sepsis
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Time to defervescence and improvement in creatinine within 72 hours of drainage
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 30–45 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- interventional radiology or urology able to place nephrostomy out of hours
- theatre or procedure room access for retrograde stenting at short notice
- a stated antibiotic protocol applied to both arms
What derails it
Which drainage a septic patient gets is decided by who is available at two in the morning, so true allocation is impossible; describe the assignment honestly as clinician-determined and record the time from admission to drainage in both arms.
Topic 31 / 42
Link to this entry
Semen parameters before and six months after varicocelectomy in infertile men with clinical varicocele
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Total motile sperm count at six months compared with the baseline value
Collection time
15–18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 35–55 men, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- semen analysis performed in the institution to WHO methodology
- clinical grading of the varicocele supported by Doppler
- a private collection room and a stated abstinence period
What derails it
Semen parameters vary widely between samples from the same man, so at least two baseline analyses with a stated abstinence interval are needed, otherwise an apparent improvement may be no more than regression to the mean.
Topic 32 / 42
Link to this entry
Semen analysis and hormonal profile in men attending an infertility clinic
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Distribution of semen abnormalities with serum follicle stimulating hormone and testosterone
Collection time
10–12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 150–250 men, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- semen analysis to WHO methodology with trained technicians
- hormone assays available in the institution
- a private collection facility adjacent to the laboratory
What derails it
A sample produced at home and carried in for an hour in a pocket will show poor motility regardless of the man's fertility, so insist on on-site collection and record the time from production to analysis.
Topic 33 / 42
Link to this entry
IIEF-5 scores and metabolic correlates in men with type 2 diabetes attending the urology clinic
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
IIEF-5 score with HbA1c, duration of diabetes and the presence of peripheral neuropathy
Collection time
9–12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 150–250 men, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a validated translation of the IIEF-5 and a private space for completion
- HbA1c available for the clinic population
- a simple neuropathy assessment such as monofilament testing
What derails it
Men will not complete this questionnaire in a queue or with a relative present, and a partially filled form cannot be scored, so a private cubicle and a self-completion arrangement are part of the method, not a nicety.
Topic 34 / 42
Link to this entry
Solifenacin compared with mirabegron in overactive bladder
DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Overactive Bladder Symptom Score and urgency episodes per day at twelve weeks
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 35–50 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- both drugs available for twelve weeks per patient
- a three-day bladder diary the patient can complete
- CTRI registration and exclusion of outlet obstruction before enrolment
What derails it
The bladder diary is the primary data and patients fill it in from memory on the morning of the visit, so hand it out with clear instructions, check the first day's entries at a telephone call, and reject diaries completed retrospectively.
Topic 35 / 42
Link to this entry
Upper tract changes and compliance with clean intermittent catheterisation in spinal cord injury
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
New hydronephrosis or rise in creatinine at six months with recorded catheterisation frequency
Collection time
15–18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40–70 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a rehabilitation or spinal injury service with a defined follow-up clinic
- ultrasound of the upper tracts at fixed intervals
- catheter supplies the patient can actually obtain
What derails it
Compliance collapses when catheters cost money or the attendant who performs them is unavailable, so record who does the catheterisation and how catheters are obtained, because that is what your outcome actually reflects.
Topic 36 / 42
Link to this entry
Conservative management of blunt renal trauma by AAST grade
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Success of non-operative management and need for intervention, by injury grade
Collection time
4–5 months of record review over three to five years
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 60–120 archived cases, limited by what the period contains
What your unit must already have
- contrast CT reports sufficient to assign an AAST grade
- records of transfusion and any intervention
- an ethics waiver for record review
What derails it
Grading requires a contrast study with delayed images, and many trauma scans are done without them, so state how many cases could be graded and do not assign a grade from a non-contrast film.
Topic 37 / 42
Link to this entry
Duration of symptoms and testicular salvage in acute scrotum explored for torsion
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Orchidectomy rather than orchidopexy at exploration, by symptom duration band
Collection time
3–4 months of record review over three to five years
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 50–100 archived cases, limited by what the period contains
What your unit must already have
- emergency theatre records identifying scrotal explorations
- documented time of symptom onset and time of surgery
- an ethics waiver for record review
What derails it
Symptom onset is recorded from the boy's or parent's account at admission, often in whole hours or 'since morning', so report it as a reported duration and state the convention you used for vague answers.
Topic 38 / 42
Link to this entry
Histopathological profile and early outcome after radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Distribution of histological subtype, stage and grade with perioperative complications
Collection time
4–5 months of record review over three to five years
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 50–100 archived cases, limited by what the period contains
What your unit must already have
- histopathology reports with subtype, stage and grade
- operative and discharge records in the same file
- an ethics waiver for record review
What derails it
Subtyping in older reports predates current classifications and some specimens were never subtyped at all, so state which classification each report used rather than presenting a single pooled distribution.
Topic 39 / 42
Link to this entry
Graft function and infective complications in the first year after live-related renal transplantation
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
Serum creatinine at twelve months and documented infective episodes requiring admission
Collection time
5–6 months of record review
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40–80 recipients, limited by the programme's volume
What your unit must already have
- an active transplant programme with complete follow-up records
- immunosuppression and drug level records in the file
- an ethics waiver for record review
What derails it
Transplant recipients are followed in a dedicated clinic whose records sit separately from the main case sheets, so confirm access to both sets before the synopsis, or half your variables will be unobtainable.
Topic 40 / 42
Link to this entry
Catheter-associated urinary tract infection and organisms isolated in a urology ward
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Catheter-associated urinary tract infection by stated criteria per thousand catheter days, with organisms and sensitivity
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 250–400 catheterised patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- microbiology support for quantitative urine culture
- a nursing record of catheter insertion and removal dates for the denominator
- agreement on a single case definition with the infection control team
What derails it
The denominator is catheter days and it comes from nursing records that often miss the removal date, so build a daily catheter census into the data collection rather than reconstructing it from the case sheet.
Topic 41 / 42
Link to this entry
Renal function outcome after fulguration of posterior urethral valves
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
Serum creatinine and upper tract appearance at the last recorded follow-up
Collection time
5–6 months of record review
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 25–60 children, limited by what the archive contains
What your unit must already have
- a paediatric urology practice with an operative and follow-up archive
- serial creatinine and ultrasound documented over years
- an ethics waiver for record review
What derails it
Follow-up duration varies from months to years across the series and renal outcome depends on it, so report the follow-up interval for every child and analyse by age at presentation rather than pooling them.
Topic 42 / 42
Link to this entry
Factors associated with recurrent stone formation compared with single-episode stone formers
DesignCase-controlFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Association of fluid intake, dietary pattern, urinary pH and metabolic abnormality with recurrence
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 70–100 cases with a similar number of controls, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- imaging or operative records confirming the number of stone episodes
- a pretested dietary and fluid intake questionnaire
- urinalysis with pH measured on a fresh sample
What derails it
A single-episode control may simply have a stone that has not yet recurred or was never imaged again, so define the control by a stated stone-free interval with documented imaging rather than by the absence of a complaint.

The designs

What each design commits you to

The designs in this MCh Urology register

The design is not a label on the title; it decides your ethics route, your timetable and the test that answers your primary question. Only the designs that appear above are explained here.

Cross-sectional
7 topics
One contact per participant. Usually the quickest to complete, and the design most often chosen when time is short.
Prospective observational
11 topics
Participants are followed after enrolment without allocating an intervention. Ethics approval must precede the first enrolment.
Retrospective
8 topics
Existing records only. Faster, but limited by what was recorded, and a waiver of consent is normally sought from the ethics committee.
Comparative interventional
7 topics
Two or more arms compared. Ethics scrutiny is heavier, and the protocol must state how allocation is handled.
Randomised controlled
4 topics
Allocation is randomised. Prospective interventional studies are registered with the Clinical Trials Registry of India before the first participant is enrolled.
Diagnostic accuracy
3 topics
An index test measured against a reference standard. The sample size depends on the expected sensitivity or specificity and the prevalence in your setting.
Case-control
1 topic
Cases and controls compared for prior exposure. Control selection is where these are most often criticised.
Cohort
1 topic
A defined group followed over time. Attrition is the usual threat, so plan for it in the sample size.

What the feasibility mark means

A judgement about a typical teaching unit, not about yours. Confirm the volume, the equipment and the co-operation a topic needs before your synopsis goes in, because after that the timetable stops being negotiable^[2].

Straightforward
16 topics
Achievable in most teaching units with routine caseload and no equipment beyond what is already in use.
Moderate
17 topics
Achievable, but needs either a specific piece of equipment, a collaborating department, or a caseload you should confirm before committing.
Demanding
9 topics
Only take this on if your unit already has the volume, the equipment and the co-operation it needs. Confirm all three before your synopsis goes in.

Next steps

Before you commit to one

What to do with a topic you like

Three steps, in this order. None of them is us: the first is arithmetic, the second is your guide, the third is a search only you can run.

Do the arithmetic
The figure on each plate is a planning range, not an answer. Put your own assumptions — the difference you would call clinically meaningful, the variability you expect, the power you want — into the free sample size calculator, then divide the result by the eligible patients your unit sees in a month and see whether the months you have left permit it.
Take it to your guide
Nothing on this page is approved by anybody. Your guide and your department decide what is feasible in your unit, and your ethics committee decides whether it may start — before the first participant, not before the analysis^[5]. Where your university ordinance is stricter than anything here, the ordinance wins^[1].
Run the search yourself
We make no claim that any question here is novel, under-studied or a gap, because that depends on a literature search run today in your own field. Read what the search returns before you write the introduction, and be ready to say why the question is worth asking in your setting.

What a thesis in this field has to satisfy — the obligations, the statistics and the questions residents ask first — is set out on the MCh Urology page. Other specialties are in the topic bank index, and the method is worked through in the guides.

Undertakings

Mechanisms, not promises

What protects your draft, and who owns the work

Each line below is a mechanism this platform implements or a published instrument it is built around. None of them is a guarantee, and we are affiliated with no regulator or university.

Protection of your work

Row-level security
Every table enforces row-level access. You read your own record, and nothing else.
View-only streaming
Drafts are streamed to you through an authenticated route, not handed over as a file.
Watermarked to you
Every page you read carries your own name and email across it.
Download gated
The final file unlocks when the fee is settled in full, and not before.
Mumbai region · DPDP 2023
Your record and your documents are held in the Mumbai region, so India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 applies to them.
Anonymised data only
We accept no patient identifiers. An NDA is available on request.

How this works

Instruments we work to

NMC PGMER-2023
The thesis obligations set out in the postgraduate medical education regulations.
NBEMS
DNB and DrNB protocol and thesis timelines, and the page limit, as published.
UGC 2018 · <10%
The academic integrity convention we work to on every draft.
ICMJE · Vancouver
Authorship criteria and reference style, applied as published.
No affiliation
We work to these published instruments. We are affiliated to none of the bodies that issue them.

How this works

Authorship and the uniqueness check

Sole author
Mentoring, editing, statistics and compliance. You remain the sole author of your thesis.
Not ghostwriting
We will not write your thesis for you, and we will not be named in it.
MDSoftune
Word-level uniqueness checking, built with REDENN Informatics Inc., Canada.
Every version
Each draft is checked word by word before your university sees it.

How this works

MDThesis is an independent academic mentorship practice. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for the NMC, NBEMS, UGC or any university.

Free feasibility call

Tell us where your thesis stands. A senior doctor will tell you what to do next.

A senior doctor replies within one working day. No obligation. MD, MS, DNB, DrNB, DM, MCh, MDS and international programmes.

Request for a feasibility call

No obligation

Reply within one working day · No obligation · Your details are not shared

Prefer to write to us first? Contact the practice. We mentor and edit; you remain the sole author of your thesis.

References

[1]
Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, National Medical Commission. In force 1 January 2024. Thesis requirements at Regulation 5.2. nmc.org.in
[2]
DNB and DrNB thesis guidelines, National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences. Protocol within 180 days of joining for three-year courses and 90 days for the two-year post-diploma DNB; research study complete by 24 months; thesis by 26 months; 80-page limit inclusive of certificates and annexures. natboard.edu.in
[5]
National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants, 2017, Indian Council of Medical Research. Ethics approval precedes data collection. icmr.gov.in
[6]
Counts of specialties, tracked stages, supported currencies and supported countries are structural facts of this platform, read from its own configuration rather than from a claim.

Document: Topic bank — MCh Urology · Revision 1 · Last reviewed 10 SEPT 2026

Issued by MDThesis, a brand of REDENN Informatics Private Limited

MCh Urology thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for eachMCh Urology thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for each

Mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy compared with retrograde intrarenal surgery for renal calculi of one to two centimetres

Guy's Stone Score and complications after standard percutaneous nephrolithotomy graded by the modified Clavien system

Tubeless compared with standard percutaneous nephrolithotomy: analgesic requirement and hospital stay

Preoperative urine culture, stone culture and systemic inflammatory response after percutaneous nephrolithotomy

Stone-free rate after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for renal calculi under two centimetres, by stone attenuation on CT

Tamsulosin compared with silodosin as medical expulsive therapy for distal ureteric calculi under ten millimetres

Stent compared with no stent after uncomplicated ureteroscopic lithotripsy

Ureteric Stent Symptom Questionnaire scores and their determinants in patients with an indwelling double-J stent

Twenty-four hour urine metabolic abnormalities in recurrent stone formers

Stone composition and its association with urinary and dietary factors in renal calculi

Ultrasound with plain radiography against non-contrast CT in acute ureteric colic

Management and complications of encrusted forgotten ureteric stents

Monopolar compared with bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate: symptom improvement and perioperative sodium change

Transurethral resection compared with holmium laser enucleation for prostates above eighty grams

Tamsulosin alone compared with tamsulosin and dutasteride in benign prostatic hyperplasia with larger prostates

Factors associated with successful trial without catheter after acute urinary retention in benign prostatic hyperplasia

International Prostate Symptom Score, prostate volume and post-void residual urine in men attending the urology outpatient clinic

Pressure-flow urodynamics in men with lower urinary tract symptoms and equivocal flow rates

Serum PSA and digital rectal examination against transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy histopathology

Stage and grade group at presentation in prostate carcinoma

Recurrence of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer after transurethral resection with single immediate intravesical chemotherapy

Clinicopathological profile of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder with documented tobacco exposure

Diagnostic yield of a structured evaluation of painless gross haematuria

Recurrence after anastomotic compared with buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty for bulbar stricture

Direct vision internal urethrotomy compared with urethroplasty for short bulbar urethral strictures

Retrograde urethrography and sonourethrography against intraoperative findings in anterior urethral stricture

Laparoscopic compared with open dismembered pyeloplasty for pelviureteric junction obstruction

Change in differential renal function on diuretic renogram after relief of upper tract obstruction

Outcome of tubularised incised plate urethroplasty for distal hypospadias assessed by the HOSE score

Percutaneous nephrostomy compared with retrograde stenting for decompression in obstructive uropathy with sepsis

Semen parameters before and six months after varicocelectomy in infertile men with clinical varicocele

Semen analysis and hormonal profile in men attending an infertility clinic

IIEF-5 scores and metabolic correlates in men with type 2 diabetes attending the urology clinic

Solifenacin compared with mirabegron in overactive bladder

Upper tract changes and compliance with clean intermittent catheterisation in spinal cord injury

Conservative management of blunt renal trauma by AAST grade

Duration of symptoms and testicular salvage in acute scrotum explored for torsion

Histopathological profile and early outcome after radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma

Graft function and infective complications in the first year after live-related renal transplantation

Catheter-associated urinary tract infection and organisms isolated in a urology ward

Renal function outcome after fulguration of posterior urethral valves

Factors associated with recurrent stone formation compared with single-episode stone formers

What the feasibility mark means

Tell us where your thesis stands. A senior doctor will tell you what to do next.

MCh Urology thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for each