Retroperitoneoscopy Technique-Assisted Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy for Complexity Horseshoe Kidney with Renal Stones

To assess the safety and efficacy of retroperitoneoscopy technique-assisted percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) used in the treatment of complexity horseshoe kidney (HSK) with renal stones.

Between January 2012 and April 2015, 5 patients with renal stones in complexity HSK underwent retroperitoneoscopy technique-assisted PCNL. The perioperative data analyzed, included operation time, blood loss, incidence of complication rate, the stone-free rate (SFR), and so on.

All the patients successfully completed the operation without need for an open surgery. The mean operative time in which this procedure was done was 77.5 ± 20.6 min, the mean hemoglobin that was reduced was 2.5 ± 0.8 g/dl, the mean time to remove nephrostomy tube and retroperitoneal tube were 3.0 ± 1.0, 3.5 ± 1.0 days, respectively. The mean hospital stay was 7.0 ± 1.5 days. The SFR of all the patients was 80% (4/5). One patient who had residual stones (6 × 5 mm) in the middle pole underwent additional shock wave lithotripsy after the operation and no serious perioperative complications were noticed. Study limitations include small sample size and short follow-up time.

Retroperitoneoscopy technique-assisted PCNL is a feasible, safe, and an effective alternative to laparoscopic pyelolithotomy for treating complexity HSK with renal stones, especially in a situation where the HSK is tightly wrapped by the surrounding organs.