Global Ureteral Access Sheath Market

Global Ureteral Access Sheath Market Insights Forecasts to 2035

• The Global Ureteral Access Sheath Market Size Was Estimated at USD 1.4 Billion in 2024
• The Market Size is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of around 4.74% from 2025 to 2035
• The Worldwide Ureteral Access Sheath Market Size is Expected to Reach USD 2.33 Billion by 2035
• Asia Pacific is expected to grow the fastest during the forecast period.

Ureteral Access Sheath Market

A flexible device called a ureteral access sheath can be placed in the ureter to facilitate repeated access for urology procedures through ureteroscopy and lithotripsy by providing a conduit and risk for minimization of tissue to be traumatized. Ureteral access sheaths are a valuable component to many contemporary urological surgeries that involve both the diagnosis and treatment of urological conditions, especially with kidney stone diagnoses. The increased incidence of urological disease, the expanding use of minimally invasive surgical treatments, and improved technological advances, including disposable ureteral access sheaths with hydrophilic properties, have all contributed to the growth of the ureteral access sheath marketplace.

Attractive Opportunities in the Ureteral Access Sheath Market

• The increasing demand for hydrophilic-coated and single-use ureteral access sheaths represents a strong market opportunity. These advanced sheaths reduce procedure friction, limit trauma to the ureter, and significantly reduce infection risks. As hospitals and surgical centers pay more attention to procedural efficiency and patient safety, the adoption of disposable and lubricated sheath technologies is rapidly increasing, particularly in North America and Europe.
• While trends and opportunities are changing rapidly in established markets, there are opportunities for growth in emerging markets in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America due to the rising burden of urological disease and improving healthcare infrastructure. Access sheaths represent an emerging opportunity in urology. Countries like China, India, and Brazil are experiencing an increase in kidney stone cases, and these countries are investing in the growing market of minimally invasive urological procedures.
• The use of ureteral access sheaths in outpatient urology and day-care surgeries also presents strong business opportunities. Cost, efficiency, and shorter patient stays are desirable for ambulatory surgical centers, making them increasingly the preferred choice for several surgical procedures in the urology department, like ureteroscopy. Ureteral sheaths can allow multiple instruments to pass, lower intrarenal pressure, and achieve quicker recovery times and efficiency in surgical workflows.

Global Ureteral Access Sheath Market Dynamics

DRIVER: Rising Prevalence of Kidney Stones and Ureteroscopy Procedures

The need for ureteral access sheaths is driven by the increased frequency of kidney stones worldwide and the growing use of minimally invasive urological procedures. The number of ureteroscopies performed worldwide is increasing as urolithiasis is exacerbated by sedentary lifestyles and dietary changes. By allowing for repeated instrument passage with minimal ureteric stress, ureter access sheaths improve ureteroscopy speed and safety. Because of their ease of use, ureteral access sheaths are now standard in clinical practice in hospitals and urology clinics throughout North America and Europe. They not only improve the efficiency of stone-free rates but also shorten operating times.

RESTRAINT: Risk of Ureteral Injury and Complications

The potential for ureteral injury during sheath placement continues to be a significant barrier to the market. Although access sheaths are designed to help protect the ureter, malplacement and use by inexperienced users can cause complications such as perforation, avulsion, or bleeding. This causes healthcare providers to avoid using access sheaths not only in lower resource settings but also generates legal liability or patient safety concerns in advanced healthcare markets. As a result, surgeons often require additional training, and facilities would prefer not to standardize the use of sheaths across all procedures.

OPPORTUNITY: Demand for Disposable and Hydrophilic-Coated Sheaths

The growing trend of one-time use and hydrophilic-coated ureteral access sheaths has created new paths for manufacturers. These also provide ease of insertion, decreased infection risk, and enhanced patient benefits. Hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers are already more willing to use single-use products as sterilization protocols are more stringent and there is less risk for cross-contamination. There is also growing awareness regarding infection prevention and aligned procurement budgets regarding the use of single-use sheaths in developed healthcare systems. The expectations for manufacturers will result in significant uptake of their disposable sheaths in the years ahead.

CHALLENGES: High-Cost Limits Adoption in Emerging Markets

The high price of sophisticated ureteral access sheaths restricts their use in developing nations. Basic or reusable models are often preferred in cost-conscious markets where public hospital budgets are very limited. Even in private institutions, the disposal or coated sheath model can be costly, and not many places have the budget to employ these models for every procedure. As a barrier to uniform global adoption, the cost issue provides a divergence in advanced urological instruments available in developed and developing locations.

Global Ureteral Access Sheath Market Ecosystem Analysis

Cooperation between medical device designing companies, prosthetists, health institutions, clinical trial evaluators, and pharmacies is very important in the field of ureteral access sheaths. Examples of such companies that manufacture both disposable and reusable sheaths of complex hydrophilic coatings are Boston Scientific, Cook Medical, Coloplast, Olympus, Karl Storz, and Becton Dickinson. These businesses collaborate with and support hospitals, outpatient surgical centres, polyclinics, and specialty clinics that perform ureteroscopy and lithotripsy in order to inform the appropriate medical staff, guarantee the proper clinical outcomes, and encourage the regular adoption of sheath utilisation.

Based on the product type, the disposable ureteral access sheaths segment led the market with the leading revenue share over the forecast period

The segment dominance is driven by there are rising consumer demands for improved procedural safety, ease of use, and infection control that this type of single-use device provides. The single-use sheath diminishes the expense of sterilisation in the clinical environment along with the risk of any cross-contamination, which is paramount in the surgical centre of any high-volume hospital. Given the global emphasis on patient safety and efficiency of operations, hospitals are using disposable options for improved hygiene and regulatory compliance.

Based on the application, the hospital segment led the market with the major revenue share during the forecast period

The hospital segment led the market, holding the largest revenue share during the forecast period. Since they do the majority of stone removal and urological surgery. The infrastructure, skilled staff, and purchasing power of these facilities enable them to implement ureteral access sheaths on a large scale. Hospitals handle the majority of complicated urological cases, such as ureteroscopy and lithotripsy, where patient safety, sterility requirements, and procedural effectiveness are crucial.

North America is anticipated to hold the largest market share of the ureteral access sheath market during the forecast period

North America is anticipated to hold the largest market share in the ureteral access sheath market during the forecast period. The high prevalence of kidney stones, an established advanced healthcare infrastructure, and a high utilization of minimally invasive urological procedures. The USA is at the forefront of the region with a high volume of ureteroscopy cases performed annually, and advanced healthcare in hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers supports physician and patient access to hydrophilic-coated and disposable sheaths. The availability of reimbursement and an increasing technology support of sheath technology factor into the diversity of sheath demand and the continued predominance in the region.

Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR in the ureteral access sheath market during the forecast period

Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR in the ureteral access sheath market during the forecast period. Rapid economic growth, increasing healthcare expenditure, and advancements in healthcare access are the key contributors to the economic growth opportunities in the market. Emerging countries such as China and India are experiencing an increase in the number of healthcare facilities and the adoption of new medical devices. Increasing awareness about urology disorders and growing emphasis on preventive healthcare, with emphasis on early diagnosis, will drive the demand for ureteral access sheaths in the region. The APAC region market provides vast economic growth and opportunities for companies.

Recent Development

• In May 2024, Karl Storz announced an exclusive agreement with Well Lead Medical to offer the ClearPetra suction-evacuation ureteral access sheath in conjunction with Karl Storz endoscopic visualization devices for comprehensive urinary stone management.

Key Market Players

KEY PLAYERS IN THE URETERAL ACCESS SHEATH MARKET INCLUDE

• Boston Scientific Corporation
• Cook Medical
• Olympus Corporation
• Coloplast Group
• Teleflex Incorporated
• Becton, Dickinson and Company
• Stryker Corporation
• KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG
• Richard Wolf GmbH
• Medtronic plc
• Smith & Nephew plc
• Conmed Corporation
• Applied Medical Resources Corporation
• Péters Surgical
• Urovision GmbH
• Others

Market Segment

This study forecasts revenue at global, regional, and country levels from 2020 to 2035. Spherical Insights has segmented the ureteral access sheath market based on the below-mentioned segments: 

Global Ureteral Access Sheath Market, By Product Type

• Disposable Ureteral Access Sheaths
• Reusable Ureteral Access Sheaths

Global Ureteral Access Sheath Market, By Application

• Hospitals
• Ambulatory Surgical Centers
• Specialty Clinics
• Others

Global Ureteral Access Sheath Market, By Regional Analysis

• North America
  • US
  • Canada
  • Mexico
• Europe
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Russia
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Australia
  • Rest of Asia Pacific
• South America
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Rest of South America
• Middle East & Africa
  • UAE
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Qatar
  • South Africa
  • Rest of the Middle East & Africa