Evaluation of 1000 percutaneous nephrostomies with a special view to efficiency and complications

The authors summarize the experience gained with 100 percutaneous nephrostomies including the evaluation of the efficiency of the applied technique, complications and the possibilities to decrease the number of complications in 900 nephrolithotomies. Discussing efficiency, they stress the importance of appropriate indication, to which low failure rate (3%) is attributed. In the prevention of complications accessories are of importance. Experience has shown that the number of perforations in the cavity system can significantly be decreased in multi-operated, cicatrized kidney--where perforations occur most frequently--with the use of the Amplatz dilator system. This type of dilator system is also recommended to unexperienced endoscopic specialists for use in primary cases. Favourable experience was gained with the use of the so-called swab balloon catheter in haemorrhages from nephrostomy. In the end they give a summary of the present fields of application of this technique and its role in the treatment of nephrolithiasis.