Complications of percutaneous nephrolithotomy as treatment for staghorn renal stone

Abstract

Introduction: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is the first therapeutic option for staghorn kidney stones. Objective: To characterize patients with complications of percutaneous nephrolithotomy for the treatment of staghorn renal lithiasis. Method: A series of 191 patients, operated by percutaneous nephrolithotomy, was studied. Variables studied: type of staghorn lithiasis, position for the technique, stone-free condition after the operation, presence of complications, time, type and grade according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Absolute and relative frequencies were found and the chi-square test was used to determine the association between variables. Results: 86.9 % were less than 60 years old, 67,0 % were male, 61,7 % had comorbidities. The staghorn lithiasis was partial or total (30,3 % and 46,5 %, respectively). In 60,2 % it affected the left kidney; 58.1 % underwent supine surgery and 70,2 % were stone free with monotherapeutic percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Complications occurred in 19,9 %; 16,2 % were postoperative, 14,1 % infectious, 7,8 % Clavien-Dindo I, and 5,2 % IIIb. The type of lithiasis and the position of the percutaneous nephrolithotomy were not associated with complications (p> 0,05). The degree of complication was not related to the type of lithiasis (p> 0,05). Conclusions: The most frequent postoperative complications are those related to infection and bleeding; they slightly predominate in patients with partial and total staghorn stones and in those operated on in the supine position; the Clavien-Dindo grade of complications is only slightly higher in the more complex staghorn stones.

Keywords

• litiasis urinaria
• nefrolitotomía percutánea
• complicaciones intraoperatorias
• complicaciones postoperatorias
• litiasis coraliforme.