Standard versus tubeless mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy: A randomised controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Nephrolithotomy

Background:

• Renal stones pose a significant health burden.
• Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is a common treatment for kidney stones.
• Mini-PCNL variants aim to reduce invasiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively compare standard mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (SmPCNL) with tubeless mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (TmPCNL).
• To evaluate SmPCNL versus TmPCNL as primary treatments for renal stones.

Main Methods:

• 80 patients with solitary radio-opaque renal stones were randomized into SmPCNL and TmPCNL groups (40 each).
• Patient demographics, stone characteristics, operative, and postoperative data were collected and analyzed.
• Statistical analysis was performed to compare outcomes between the two groups.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed in patient demographics or stone characteristics between the SmPCNL and TmPCNL groups.
• Operative time, postoperative hemoglobin drop, urine leakage, and stone-free rates were comparable between both groups.
• The mean postoperative analgesic requirement was significantly higher in the SmPCNL group (112.5 mg) compared to the TmPCNL group (48.8 mg).

Conclusions:

• Both SmPCNL and TmPCNL are safe and effective primary treatments for renal stones.
• There is no significant difference in efficacy between SmPCNL and TmPCNL.
• TmPCNL offers a significant advantage in reduced postoperative analgesic requirements compared to SmPCNL.