Flexible and Semi-rigid Ureteroscopy Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Flexible, Semi-rigid), By Application (Urolithiasis, Urinary Stricture), By End Use, And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2025

Report Overview

The global flexible and semi-rigid ureteroscopy market size was valued at USD 756.3 million in 2017. It is projected to expand at a CAGR of 5.1% over the forecast period. The rising incidence of urolithiasis disease coupled with rapidly increasing geriatric population is likely to drive the market.

Around 15% of global population suffers from urolithiasis at some point in their life. It affects all races, sexes, and ages but is more common in men within the age group of 20 to 49 years. This is where ureteroscopy plays an important role as it has a tremendous impact on management of patients suffering from urolithiasis. Hence, it is considered as the first line treatment option for urinary tract stones.

Ureteroscopy is an effective and safe test for primarily treating ureteral stones, tumors or strictures. Its use has significantly increased over the years owing to the technological advancements such as single-use flexible ureteroscopes coupled with diversification of application.

Technological advancements in the size and design area of ureteroscopes has allowed easier access to the ureter and kidney via the urethra, eliminating the need for any surgical incision.Furthermore, with semi-rigid and flexible ureteroscopes nearly all parts of urinary tract can be easily assessed, with high quality digital optics providing accurate assessment of mucosal lesions and stones.

One of the major benefits of ureteroscopes is that there is minimum contra-indication for the procedure. In addition, recently the role of ureteroscopes has extended, mainly due to the rising prevalence of obesity, bleeding diathesis, and pediatric stone disease. Prevalence of obesity is at an all-time high and it has been observed that obese people are at high risk of developing kidney stones. This is anticipated to further accelerate growth of the market for flexible and semi-rigid ureteroscopy.

Increased anesthetic risk and other treatments such as shock wave lithotripsy or percutaneous nephrolithotomy are often unsuccessful. Hence, ureteroscopy is often considered as the ideal choice for obese patients. This factor can further drive expansion of the market over the forecast period.

Product Insights

Flexible ureteroscope segment held the dominant market share in terms of revenue in 2017 owing to wide utilization of the product. Flexible ureteroscopes are considered as the gold standard for treating various stones in the kidney and ureter. These products provide accurate and effective treatment process and they help in reducing the overall treatment cost. Hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers are switching from semi-rigid ureteroscopes to fully digital flexible ureteroscopes. This factor is anticipated to bode well for market growth in the forthcoming years.

Furthermore, major players are focusing on developing technologically advanced ureteroscopes, which is further expected to accelerate growth of the market. The key market players providing flexible ureteroscopes are Boston Scientific, Olympus, Richard Wolf, and Stryker.

Application Insights

Based on application, the flexible & semi-rigid ureteroscopy market is categorized into urolithiasis, urinary stricture, and kidney cancer. Urolithiasis was the largest segment in terms of revenue in 2017. It is estimated to continue holding the largest market share over the forecast period, mainly due to high prevalence of kidney stone.

According to an article published by the journal of Urology Annals, kidney stone is a common problem affecting people globally, with a prevalence rate of approximately 7% among adults. Globally, the incidence rate of kidney stone is projected to rise by up to 15%. It has been estimated that around 13% men and 7% women will develop a kidney stone during their lifetime.

End-use Insights

Based on end-use, the market is categorized into hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and others. Hospitals was the largest segment in terms of market share in 2017 and is likely to maintain its position over the forecast period. Majority of diagnostic tests are performed in hospitals, mainly due to easy access. This factor is anticipated to bode well for the segment growth over the forecast period.

The ambulatory surgical centers segment is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period. The payers and governments analyze costs and are shifting towards value-based care. Hence, outpatient surgery is likely to witness a rise in the forthcoming years. Consumers prefer outpatient settings for minor surgical procedures, as it is convenient and inexpensive. This will dampen growth of follow-up visits and shift care away from hospitals and emergency department settings.

Regional Insights

North America was the largest revenue generating region in 2017, followed by Europe. One of the major factors responsible for their continued dominance is the presence of significant market players such as Boston Scientific, Stryker, and Elmed Medical Systems. North America is the most well-established market in terms of the usage of ureteroscopes. Well-established healthcare infrastructure, patient awareness, presence of advanced instruments are some other factors attributed to continued dominance of the region.

Asia Pacific is likely to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period owing to the increasing incidence of urolithiasis coupled with growing geriatric population. In addition, the need for better diagnosis and huge unmet clinical needs are expected to drive the regional market in the forthcoming years.

Flexible & Semi-rigid Ureteroscopy Market Share Insights

The key market players are Boston Scientific, Olympus, Karl Storz Medical AG, Stryker, Elmed Medical Systems, Maxer Endoscopy, Richard Wolf, and Vimex Endoscopy. Players are engaging in different strategies such as geographic expansion, business collaborations, R&D activities, and introduction of technologically advanced products to boost their market share.

For instance, Boston Scientific launched a new single-use digital ureteroscope, LithoVue in U.S. and Europe. The System is intended to provide seamless navigation for constant clinical performance throughout the individual patient procedure and superior digital visualization. Unlike reusable ureteroscopes, it can overcome the challenges associated with unpredictable scope maintenance and repairs, sterilization, reprocessing, and degradation of scope performance over the period.

Flexible And Semi-rigid Ureteroscopy Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2014 to 2025. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global flexible & semi-rigid ureteroscopy market report based on product, application, end use, and region:

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • Flexible Ureteroscopes

    • Digital Ureteroscopes

    • Fiberoptic Ureteroscopes

  • Semi-rigid Ureteroscopes

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • Urolithiasis

  • Urinary Stricture

  • Kidney Cancer

• End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • Hospitals

  • Ambulatory Surgical Centers

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • U.K.

    • Germany

  • Asia Pacific

    • Japan

    • China

    • India

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

  • MEA

    • South Africa