The First Case Report of Robot-Assisted Fluoroscopy-Guided Renal Access During Endoscopic Combined Intrarenal Surgery

During percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery (ECIRS), obtaining renal access is the most critical step to achieving effective treatment without major intraoperative complications. Among a variety of methods attempted to improve the access, robot-assisted fluoroscopy-guided (RAFG) renal access has been introduced to mitigate technical human errors and overcome challenging learning curves. In this study, we present our first experience with an automated needle targeting with an X-ray (ANT-X) device for minimally invasive (mini-) ECIRS. A 75-year-old healthy woman with a 6.0 cm³ left kidney stone was referred to our hospital for surgical treatment. The patient underwent mini-ECIRS utilizing RAFG renal access without complication, and the stone was completely removed. The ureteral stent and transurethral catheter were removed on postoperative day 2, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 3. There were no residual fragments detected by CT as of 3 months after the surgery. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the effective use of RAFG mini-ECIRS for a kidney stone. The overall outcome was positive, indicating the feasibility of ANT-X use for PCNL and ECIRS.