Early intervention addresses the stone when the stone burden is at its lowest and, therefore, it facilitates higher stone-free rates than delayed intervention. There is a general consensus that there are distinct patient populations that warrant early intervention, especially within the context of appropriate patient selection and preoperative optimization in preparation for surgery. In fact, with early intervention, obtaining the stone composition provides insight into the pathogenesis of stone formation that can ultimately guide patient counseling, lifestyle modifications, and aggressiveness of preventative treatment. [Extracted from the article]