A silent, giant staghorn calculus managed with open surgery: a case report

Staghorn calculus usually fills the pelvis of the kidney, the infundibulum, and most of the calyces. It is a rarity for staghorn stones to be asymptomatic; in addition to that, the calculus discussed in this case report was of a very large size and was removed intact. Open pyelolithotomy, the procedure used, is one that comes with a wide range of complications but can be deemed effective in certain cases. In this scenario, it led to no impediments to normal physiology.

Here the authors report the case of a 45-years-old Nepalese male who presented with a large yet asymptomatic staghorn calculus. It was managed with an open pyelolithotomy, and the patient had no intraoperative or postoperative complications.

Staghorn stones can be complete or partial and often naturally progress to renal impairment. Thus, an aggressive therapeutic approach is crucial, with careful evaluation of the site and size of the stone, the patient's preference, and the institutional capacity. Ideally, staghorn calculi are completely removed, and it is imperative that the functions of the affected kidney are preserved as far as possible and when applicable. Although percutaneous nephrolithotomy is recommended for the removal of staghorn stones, several clinical, technical, and socioeconomic factors contributed to the use of open pyelolithotomy in the management of the case discussed here.

Open pyelolithotomy can prove highly effective in removing large stones intact and in a single setting, the importance of which was accentuated by its unique clinical presentation and pathological anomalies.