Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy in Young-Old, Old-Old, and Oldest-Old Patients: A Multicenter Study

To compare percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) outcomes between the elderly and young age groups and examined differences between young-old, old-old, and oldest-old patients. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 8191 renal units that underwent PCNL between September 1997 and March 2020 at three Turkish academic institutions. Patients were classified into young (18-64 years) and elderly (65+ years) age groups. The elderly age group was classified into young-old (65-69 years), old-old (70-79 years), and oldest-old (80+ years). Demographics, stone features, and perioperative and postoperative outcomes were compared between groups. The factors affecting stone-free rates and complications were determined in the elderly age group. The patients' median age was 47 years (18-100) and the female to male ratio was 1:1.72. The stone-free and complication rates were 78.9% and 16.4%, respectively. General complications, blood transfusion, postoperative urinary tract infections, and major complications rate were similar between the young and elderly age groups (P = .902, P = .740, P = .659, P = .219, respectively). The stone-free rate was higher in the elderly age group (P = .002). Presence of partial or complete staghorn stones and number of stones were independently associated with stone-free rates for elderly age group patients (P = .006, P < .001, respectively). Stone burden (≥400 mm²) and presence of partial or complete staghorn stones were significantly associated with complications for the elderly age group patients (P = .038, P = .014, respectively). In the young-old, old-old, and oldest-old age group, PCNL appears like the preferred treatment with high stone-free rates but similar complication rates compared to their younger counterpart.