Percutaneous renal and ureteric stone extraction. Report on the first 500 operations

A consecutive series of the first 500 percutaneous renal and ureteric stone extractions in 451 patients was analysed. During the period studied, percutaneous extraction was offered to all patients with conventional indication for stone removal except a few, very early ureteric stone patients in whom open lithotomy was carried out. Ureteroscopy and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy had not come into routine use. Four hundred and seventy-eight stone operations (96%) could be performed by the percutaneous route; early in the series, 21 open operations and one transurethral Dormia basket extraction were performed, mainly because of failed mobilisation of ureteric stones (12 patients) or various peroperative complications (9 patients). The target stones were completely removed in 88% of all percutaneous procedures, with the best results in the largest group of patients with 6-20 mm solitary stones or 2-3 stones less than or equal to 10 mm. Stones in the ureter and pelvi-ureteric junction without any other concomitant stones were all completely removed. Bleeding was the most frequent peroperative complication. No kidney was lost. An 84-year-old man died of intercurrent disease postoperatively.