Supine mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy in horseshoe kidney.

OBJECTIVE: The percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in Horseshoe kidneys (HSK) is usually performed in the prone position, allowing entry through the upper pole and providing good access to the collecting system. However, in patients with normal kidney anatomy, the supine position is reliable and safe in most cases, but it is unknown whether the supine position is adequate in patients with HSK. The purpose of this study was to describe the results of PCNL in HSK in three different surgical institutions and to evaluate the impact of supine position during surgery, comparing pre-operative and post-operative data, complications, and stone status after surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 2017 and 2022, a total of 10 patients underwent percutaneous renal surgery for stone disease in HSK. All patients were evaluated pre- and post- operatively with non-contrast CT. we evaluated patients (age and gender), stones characteristics (size, number, side, site and density ), and outcomes. The change in haemoglobin, hematocrit, creatinine and eGFr were assessed between the most recent preoperative period and the first postoperative day. Procedure success was defined as stone-free or presence of ≤4 mm fragments (Clinically Insignificant residual Fragments - CIrF). Complications were registered and classified according to Clavien-dindo Grading System, during the 30 - day postoperative period and Clavien scores ≥ 3 were considered as major complications. Statistical analysis was performed using "r 4.2.1" software, with a 5% significance level. we also compared pre-operative and post-operative data using "wilcoxon signedrank test". RESULTS: No statistical difference was observed between preoperative and post-operative renal function data. At one post operative day CT scan, an overall success rate of 100% was registered. 9/10 patients were completely free from urolithiasis (stone-free rate: 90%), while 1/10 patients had ≤4 mm residual stone fragments (CIrF rate: 10%). No cases of intraoperative complications were registered. Post-operative complications were reported in 1/10 patients. A patient developed urosepsis (defined as SIrS with clinical signs of bacterial infections involving urogenital organs - Clavien-dindo Grade II) after procedure, and was treated with intravenous antibiotic therapy successfully.  Conclusions: This study shows that in patients with HSK mini- PCNL in supine position allows to achieve good stone free rate with a very low morbidity. According to our series, the described technique for PCNL in HSK should be an option. Nevertheless these results must be confirmed by further studies.

Complications of endourological procedures and their treatment.

Endourological treatment for urinary stones and other obstructive urinary tract diseases is minimally invasive but in some cases it involves serious complications. This collection of cases describes some complications of endourological procedures and how they were treated. Case 1: A case of right ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrostomy found to be misplaced in the inferior vena cava. The case was safely managed, but it showed that ultrasound guidance alone may be insufficient so it is recommended that percutaneous nephrostomy should be always placed under fluoroscopic control, either alone or in combination with ultrasound guidance. Case 2: A case of renal subcapsular hematoma occurring on retrograde intrarenal surgery at high perfusion pressure. The hematoma was drained under combined ultrasonic and radiological guidance. Post treatment recovery was uneventful. Large stone size, severe ipsilateral hydronephrosis, long operation time, higher hydrostatic pressure of the irrigating solution and low ureteral wall compliance are supposed to be risks factors associated with renal subcapsular formation. Management strategy should be tailored to patient's clinical conditions. In hemodynamically stable patients, large hematoma drainage is recommended to prevent further complications and favours early recovery. Case 3: A case of double J stent fracture discovered one month after the insertion to relieve obstruction from a 1 cm stone in the right proximal ureter. The distal fragment of the stent was removed by cystoscopy while the proximal fragment was removed by semirigid ureteroscopy in two sessions due to fever and extensive calcification. Case 4: A mini-invasive technique for transurethral replacement of completely encrusted urinary stents in female patients. This technique allows the interventional radiologist to replace obstructed urinary stents by avoiding more invasive and traumatic urological procedures with sedation.

Clinical and psychological outcomes of patients undergoing Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery and Miniaturised Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy for kidney stones. A preliminary study.

PURPOSE: To assess disease-specific and health-related QoL, anxiety and depression as well as satisfaction regarding retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) and miniaturized percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mPCNL) intervention for kidney stones up to 2.5 cm. Secondarily, pain as well as perioperative and postoperative patient outcomes were evaluated. METHODS: 60 consecutive patients with kidney stones of dimensions not exceeding 2.5 cm were enrolled in the study of which 30 underwent RIRS and 30 mPCNL. Perioperative characteristics (age, gender, body mass index (BMI), stone side and size, previous interventions for kidney stones and duration of hospitalization) and surgical outcomes (hemoglobin drop, stone-free rate, visual analogue scale (VAS), stenting time, size of ureteral access sheath (UAS) deployment, and postoperative complications) of patients were collected. Quality of life and psychological outcomes were evaluated using validated questionnaires. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of age, gender, BMI, stone side and size (p > 0.05). Significant differences between the mPCNL and the RIRS groups were found regarding stenting time (p = 0.032) and duration of hospital stay (p < 0.001). The stone-free rates of mPCNL vs RIRS were not significantly different between the two groups (73.3% vs 66.7%, p > 0.05). Peri- and postoperative complications were not statistically different between the two groups (p > 0.05). RIRS group reported higher anxiety and depression scores compared with the mPCNL group (3 [range 0-15] vs 15 [range 6-24], p < 0.01). We found significant differences between the two groups in social (p < 0.05) and vitality (p < 0.01) scores. VAS pain score was significantly lower in the mPCNL group than in the RIRS one (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results open new scenarios in the treatment of kidney stones up to 2.5 cm when RIRS and mPCNL have interchangeable indications. Since in our experience complications and success rate are similar, the surgical choice of switching from RIRS to mPCNL in real-time and viceversa may be proposed to the patient in the preoperative counseling.

Subcapsular Kidney Urinoma After Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy.

Background: A rare percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) complication and its management is reported. Case Presentation: A male patient, 43 years of age, underwent PCNL for a large left pyelocaliceal stone. Surgery was performed in the Valdivia-Galdakao supine position. The percutaneous tract was established by combined radiologic and sonographic guidance. The tract was dilated by balloon and a 24F Amplatz sheath was located. As complete clearance was not achieved because of a residual lower pole caliceal stone, a ureteral Double-J and a 20F nephrostomy were located for a second-look PCNL through the same tract after 7 days. After second-look PCNL residual stone was still not cleared because it was unreachable through the tract established and the patient was discharged without nephrostomy and with the ureteral stent, retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) was planned in 3 to 4 weeks. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, and the renal function were normal. On the seventh day after PCNL, no leakage was detected from the percutaneous tract, but the patient started to complain about flank discomfort and fever. Imaging showed a 6 cm lower pole subcapsular collection. After 3 days of conservative management with antibiotics, the subcapsular collection did not resolve and a percutaneous 6F mono-J drainage in the collection was placed. Drain output was at first purulent and evolved into urine throughout the following days. Drain urine culture was positive for Escherichia coli infection and carbapenemic-targeted antibiotic was offered to the patient. Collection drained about 400 cc in 7 days and the drain was removed when the output was less than 10 cc per day. No late complications were reported and RIRS was scheduled in 1 month to clear the residual stone. Conclusion: Subcapsular urinoma post-PCNL is an uncommon but severe complication. Prompt and correct drainage may solve it.

Split-leg percutaneous nephrolithotomy: a safe and versatile technique.

OBJECTIVES: Percutaneos nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is the gold standard for treatment of urinary stones larger than 2 cm and refractory to ESWL. Nowadays most debate about surgical technique is related to the positioning of patients. We report our expe- rience on prone PCNL with split-leg variant (SL-PCNL) MATERIALS AND METHODS: 30 consecutive patients underwent prone SL-PCNL. Preoperative stone size was deter- mined by measuring stones longest diameter on CT scan. In cases with multiple stones, stone size was determined by the sum of each stone diameter on CT scan. Patients evaluated con- sisted of 20 females and 10 males and median age was 55 (20-72). The average BMI was 27 (24-35). 15 patients had multiple stones, 10 pyelocalicial, 10 pelvic larger than 2 cm, 2 in horseshoe kidneys and 3 staghorn stones. RESULTS: Stone free rate was 87% after first look and 97% after second look. In 2 cases, we used a flexible ureteroscopy 7.5 Fr (Flex 2 - Storz) to treat a calculus in ureter or for a contemporary double access (Endoscopic combined Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery ECIRS). In 28 cases we placed a 20 fr nephrostomy while in two cases procedure was tubeless. In 20 cases we placed a double-J catheter. In 2 cases we performed two tract and in 2 horseshoe kidneys access was close to spine. The average surgical time was about 90 minutes (range 30-120 minutes). Hemoglobin drop was about 1.5 mg/dl (range 1-3 .4 mg/dl) and no major complications were reported. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience PCNL in prone with spread-legs variant is a versatile technique and allows to match the advantages you have with same technique in supine, providing at the same time benefits in cases of anatomical abnormalities, challenging cases, or when multi-tract accesses are required.

NOTES hybrid transvaginal radical nephrectomy for tumor: stepwise progression toward a first successful clinical case.

BACKGROUND: Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) has been used to perform nephrectomy in the laboratory; however, clinical reports to date have used multiple abdominal trocars to assist the transvaginal procedure. OBJECTIVE: To present our stepwise technique development and the first successful clinical case of NOTES transvaginal radical nephrectomy for tumor with umbilical assistance without extraumbilical skin incisions. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The four transvaginal NOTES procedures were performed at two institutions after obtaining institutional review board approval. Various operative steps were developed experimentally in three clinical cases, and on March 7, 2009, we performed the first successful case of NOTES hybrid transvaginal radical nephrectomy without any extraumbilical skin incisions. Using one multichannel access port in the vagina and one in the umbilicus, laparoscopic visualization, intraoperative tissue dissection, and hilar control were performed transvaginally and transumbilically. The intact specimen was extracted transvaginally. MEASUREMENTS: All perioperative data were accrued prospectively. A stepwise progression to the successful completion of the fourth case is systematically presented. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Intraoperatively, at incrementally more advanced stages of the procedure, the first three NOTES clinical cases were electively converted to standard laparoscopy because of rectal injury during vaginal entry, of failure to progress, and of gradual bleeding during upper-pole dissection after transvaginal hilar control, respectively. The fourth case was successfully completed via transvaginal and umbilical access without conversion to standard laparoscopy. Operative time was 3.7 h, estimated blood loss was 150 cm(3), and hospital stay was 1 d. Final pathology confirmed a 220-g, pT1b, 7-cm, grade 2, clear-cell renal cell carcinoma with negative margins. The patient was readmitted for an intraabdominal collection that responded to drainage and antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: We report our stepwise progression and the initial successful clinical case of NOTES hybrid transvaginal radical nephrectomy for tumor, assisted with only one umbilical trocar. Although transvaginal nephrectomy is feasible in the highly selected patient with favorable intraoperative circumstances, considerable refinements in technique and technology are necessary if this approach is to advance beyond mere anecdote.

Ureteroscopic laser endopyelotomy in secondary UPJ obstruction after pyeloplasty failure.

OBJECTIVES: Secondary ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction after failure of open and laparoscopic repair may be challenging to resolve due to possible extensive fibrosis and the increased invasiveness of this procedure. Alternatively, ureteroscopic laser endopyelotomy may be a more acceptable procedure for patients and surgeons. We report our preliminary experience with ureteroscopic holmium laser endopyelotomy after open pyeloplasty failure and define the complications that arose and the results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed 6 retrograde endopyelotomies with a holmium laser for failed UPJ repairs following the Anderson-Hynes procedures. Patient follow-up was carried out every 3 months using sonography and renal scan, and again after 1 year using renal scan and urography. RESULTS: Mean hospitalization was 2.1 days. Ureteroscopic laser endopyelotomy was successful in 4 cases (66.6%). In 2 patients, failure occurred at the third month of follow-up. Complications included 1 case of slight bleeding, which was resolved conservatively without the need for blood transfusion, and 2 cases of guidewire rupture. CONCLUSIONS: Secondary UPJ obstruction is more challenging to resolve by open or laparoscopic approach. Retrograde endopyelotomy gives a valid alternative thanks to its success rate and its better acceptance by patients. We consider retrograde laser endopyelotomy the approach to choose when faced with secondary UPJ obstruction after open or laparoscopic failures.