In a conversation with MedTech Spectrum, Mr. Wong Yau Chung, Group Chief Executive Officer of Advanced MedTech Holdings (AMTH), reflects on how the company is tackling long-standing challenges in kidney stone management, such as underreporting and fragmented follow-up care. With innovations like UroGPT™, Dornier Thulio™, and an integrated surgical workflow, AMTH is championing a digitally connected, patient-centred approach to urology—enhancing both clinical efficiency and access to care across diverse populations.
As AMTH continues to lead in kidney stone management, how is the company addressing the persistent challenge of underreporting? What role can real-world data and digital registries play in improving disease surveillance and outcomes?
Underreporting in kidney stone disease is a real and pressing challenge. What we’ve observed is that many patients don’t seek medical care unless they experience acute pain. Kidney stones often cause intermittent or low-level discomfort that patients try to manage at home. As a result, many patients only seek help when the stones have grown too large—often arriving at hospitals in extreme pain, sometimes with high risk of infection or sepsis.
Even after treatment, recurrence does happen, but long-term follow-up and preventive care can be lacking. There’s no centralized way to track patients across different providers or episodes of care, making it hard to understand the full picture of disease burden and outcomes.
At Advanced MedTech, we believe that raising awareness and empowering patients is a crucial first step toward closing this gap. That’s why our portfolio company, Dornier MedTech, has launched two digital platforms—UroGPT™ and Worst Pain Ever®—to directly engage with patients and build awareness.
UroGPT™ is the first AI-powered chatbot designed for kidney stone patients. UroGPT™ is designed to provide instant, reliable answers to questions related to kidney stone management. Launched in the United States, it was co-created with a Medical Advisory Board, kidney stone experts, and aligned to the American Urological Association guidelines. As an AI digital health companion, UroGPT™ empowers patients with reliable, on-demand information to navigate the complexities of kidney stones confidently.
The platform was really developed with the patients in mind. Armed with patient insights from Worst Pain Ever® - the world’s largest kidney stone community, we’ve built a platform that really draws on the day-to-day struggles of managing kidney stones.
In a recent study involving 260 kidney stone formers, 73% strongly agreed that UroGPT™ makes it easier to get information they need about stones. Furthermore, 70.38% strongly agreed that they were satisfied with UroGPT™ for improving their understanding of kidney stones. (Source: https://bit.ly/42hVyTZ)
We are proud of the work we’ve done with UroGPT™ and the Worst Pain Ever®. We believe to tackle underreporting, it is so important to partner with patients, caregivers and physicians to continue bridging the gap.
With AMTH's emphasis on digital transformation in endourology, how are smart tools and connected technologies being integrated into clinical workflows to support urologists in diagnosis, treatment planning, and procedural efficiency?
The past few years have been transformational for endourology, with three major innovations converging: 1) the rise of single-use digital ureteroscopes, 2) a generational leap in laser technology from Holmium:YAG to Thulium-based systems, and 3) the growing clinical adoption of irrigation-suction techniques in stone treatment.
At Advanced MedTech, through our portfolio company Dornier MedTech, we’ve taken a systems approach to innovation—integrating these three breakthroughs into a single, connected flexible ureteroscopy (fURS) solution we call “See It – Dust It – Suction.” This approach is designed to enhance every stage of the procedure, from visualization and stone fragmentation to fragment clearance.
This integrated platform is more than just three devices—it represents a connected workflow designed to help urologists achieve better stone-free rates with greater procedural control and confidence. We are currently partnering with leading clinicians to conduct real-world studies on the “See It – Dust It – Suction” approach.
By combining these tools with evidence-based practice, we’re advancing the standard of care in endourology—where technology not only enhances precision but also enables better patient outcomes.
Given the rise in BPH, urinary incontinence, and kidney stone disease linked to ageing populations and changing hydration/dietary habits, how is AMTH tailoring its innovation pipeline to meet the evolving urological needs across diverse patient populations in Asia?
The rising incidence of kidney stone disease and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in Asia is closely linked to two major trends: the ageing population and shifts in modern lifestyle. Dietary habits, coupled with the fast pace of life, have led to reduced water consumption, which has been shown to significantly increase the risk of kidney stones. A well-cited study highlighted that insufficient hydration is one of the strongest modifiable risk factors for stone formation.
Meanwhile, the region’s ageing demographics are also driving a sharp increase in BPH cases. Clinical studies have shown that over 50% of men above the age of 60—and up to 80% by age 80—will develop BPH. Unlike kidney stones, BPH is predominantly age-dependent, with ‘worldwide autopsy proven histological prevalence increases starting at age 40-45 years, to reach 60% at age 60 and 80% at age 80.’
To address these evolving urological needs, Advanced MedTech has focused its innovation strategy through our portfolio company Dornier MedTech, to develop the Dornier Thulio™. The Thulio® is a pulsed Thulium:YAG laser designed to empower urologists with a single platform capable of treating a wide range of endourological conditions—including hard and soft kidney/ureteral stones, BPH via laser enucleation, and even upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) tumours.
It's really an example of an innovation that showcases both versatility and clinical efficiency – because it’s one laser that has multiple applications. I was especially proud this year at the European Association of Urology (EAU) Conference 2025 in Madrid, when our team from Dornier MedTech partnered with our clinicians to showcase the device in action. We had four expert European urologists demonstrating its performance in live surgeries on hard/soft stones, BPH enucleation, and a semi-live case on UTUC. This was a clear validation of how we are tailoring our innovation pipeline to meet the complex and diverse needs of patients across Asia and beyond.
Laser lithotripsy is becoming a preferred minimally invasive technique for stone treatment. How is AMTH advancing this modality in terms of device performance, safety, and training for broader adoption across emerging markets?
We are advancing this modality not just with our latest laser technology, but also with continued clinical studies that proves our device performance and its efficacy. We have published more than 15 clinical papers in journals on the Thulio® device.
In addition, we believe that providing the equipment alone is not enough.
We have established Masterclasses in different regions around the world, to provide education and support to physicians . I was very glad to have visited a Masterclass site in AZORG, Belgium and had a front-row seat watching two medical experts conducting Masterclasses on Anatomical Endoscopic Enucleation of the Prostate (AEEP) techniques using the Thulio® laser.
My commitment and Dornier’s commitment is that we will continue to grow these Masterclasses in all parts of the world – to promote the best practices for clinical procedures for laser lithotripsy and AEEP.
With a notable shortage of urologists across Asia, how does AMTH envision the role of AI, automation, and robotic-assisted surgery in extending the reach and effectiveness of care—especially in underserved regions?
The shortage of urologists is definitely an issue. And it is not just urologists but the overall global shortage of trained and experienced healthcare professionals (HCPs) such as OR staff and nurses. In my interactions with urologists, they had shared that much was driven by general burn out and fatigue during COVID.
I see AI play a role in automating the entire patient care process – from awareness to treatment and post-recovery. Dornier’s UroGPT™ is an example of playing the role of increasing patient awareness, providing disease information 24/7 and if a patient decides to seek treatment – the platform can also provide pre-op and post-op guidelines in partnership with clinics.
For surgical procedures, I’ve seen the use of robotics that has really helped physicians to increase their accuracy and reduce fatigue. I have also seen the use of AI being explored to automatically adjust laser settings during laser lithotripsy procedures. I use the analogy of driving an automatic car. The automatic gear setting changes the gear depending on whether we are accelerating on the highway or going up a steep slope. Similarly, laser adjustments can be automatic as the system is able to visualize the various stage of stone treatment.
The shortage of HCPs and the heavy patient load will persist. It’s important that organizations like ours proactively partner with HCPs to co-develop solutions. I am personally committed to continue to make this a priority at Advanced MedTech.
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