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Percutaneous management of renal calculi: experience with percutaneous nephrolithotomy in 60 children
Insights
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is a safe procedure for pediatric kidney stones. This study found PCNL effective in most children, with minimal complications, highlighting its role in managing pediatric renal calculi.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Urology
- Nephrolithiasis Management
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
Background:
- Recurrent kidney stones are common in children, necessitating effective, less invasive treatments.
- Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) offers a minimally invasive approach for pediatric renal calculi.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in managing kidney stones in a pediatric population.
- To assess the outcomes of PCNL for both primary and recurrent stone episodes in children.
Main Methods:
- PCNL was performed on 60 children (ages 3-13), with varying stone burdens.
- Procedures were either single-stage (49 patients) or staged with preliminary nephrostomy (11 patients).
- Stones were removed intact (66.6%) or fragmented using ultrasonic lithotripsy (33.3%).
Main Results:
- 83.3% of pediatric patients achieved stone-free status after a single PCNL session.
- Reasons for incomplete clearance included bleeding, extravasation, inaccessible stones, and small residual fragments.
- No late complications were observed during an average follow-up of 1 year.
Conclusions:
- Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is a safe and effective treatment for pediatric kidney stones.
- While success rates may be lower than in adults, PCNL offers a valuable minimally invasive option for children.
- Careful consideration of safety is paramount when attempting complete stone clearance in a single session in pediatric patients.
Purpose:
We report our experience with percutaneous nephrolithotomy in a pediatric population in which primary as well as recurrent stone episodes are frequent and the need for less invasive procedures is imperative.
Materials And Methods:
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy was performed in 60 children 3 to 13 years old (average age 6), including 44 boys (73.3%) and 16 girls (26.7%). There was a single obstructing renal calculus in 43 patients, while 17 had multiple calculi. The procedure was performed in 1 stage in 49 patients, and it was staged with preliminary nephrostomy in 11 who presented with calculous anuria and elevated serum creatinine. Normal saline was used as an irrigant and perioperatively serum electrolytes were measured to monitor fluid absorption in 18 patients. Stones were extracted intact from 40 patients (66.6%) and ultrasonic lithotripsy was performed in 20 (33.3%).
Results:
Of the 60 patients 50 (83.3%) were rendered stone-free at 1 session. Incomplete stone clearance at 1 session was due to intraoperative bleeding requiring blood transfusion, extravasation, multiple stones that were inaccessible via 1 tract, displacement of stone fragments into an inaccessible calix and insignificant residual fragments less than 3 mm. in 2 cases each. During followup of 3 months to 6 years (average 1 year) no late complications were noted.
Conclusions:
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is a safe and relatively efficacious mode of managing pediatric renal calculi. Although higher success rates are achieved in adults, caution should be exercised in children, in whom diligent attempts at stone clearance in 1 session may be made at the expense of safety.