Day-surgery percutaneous nephrolithotomy: a high-volume center retrospective experience

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Nephrolithotomy

Background:

• Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is a standard procedure for kidney stones.
• Traditionally, PCNL is performed on an inpatient basis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and outcomes of day-surgery PCNL.
• To assess the feasibility of same-day or within 24-hour discharge after PCNL.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 86 planned day-surgery PCNL cases performed by an experienced surgeon.
• Data collected included patient demographics, operative details, complications, and readmission rates.
• Day-surgery PCNL defined as discharge within 24 hours post-operation.

Main Results:

• 95.4% of patients were discharged same-day or after overnight observation.
• Stone clearance rate was 90.7% with an average stone burden of 361.1 mm².
• Postoperative complications occurred in 11.6% of patients, with a 2.3% readmission rate.

Conclusions:

• Day-surgery PCNL is safe and effective in appropriately selected patients.
• Experienced surgeons can achieve excellent outcomes with this approach.
• Most complications are manageable conservatively, requiring minimal intervention or readmission.