Nonoperative management of complications of percutaneous renal nephrostomy

Between 1984 and 1986 at the Wellesley Hospital in Toronto, 210 percutaneous renal nephrostomies were performed for drainage and 140 were done to provide access for nephrolithotomy. Less than 2% of the patients experienced complications requiring intervention and less than 0.5% required an open surgical approach for the management of procedure-related problems. Complications that were managed conservatively included splenic puncture, false aneurysm, laceration of the renal artery, arteriovenous fistula, hemorrhage requiring transfusion, pneumothorax-empyema, urinoma, septic shock and the hemolysis-hyponatremia-renal shutdown syndrome.