Journal of endourology
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Journal of endourology · Jan 2018
Complications, Re-Intervention Rates, and Natural History of Residual Stone Fragments After Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy.
The management of residual fragments (RFs) that persist after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) has been poorly studied. Fragments have the potential to grow or cause symptoms. The aim of this study was to follow patients with fragments after PCNL to identify predictors of stone-related events (re-interventions and complications) after PCNL. ⋯ The true stone-free rate was 55% after PCNL. However, 82.5% were stone free or had RFs 4 mm or less, which correlates with previous studies. Larger RFs had higher rates of stone-related events and shorter time to occurrence of stone-related events. The growth and spontaneous passage of RFs was independent of RF size, emphasizing the importance of obtaining a stone-free status after PCNL.