Commentary to ‘Mini PCNL: A viable single stage treatment for pediatric nephrolthiasis in lower socioecnomic countries’

Abstract

Rehman and colleagues [1] report on a series of patients undergoing mini-PCNL in developing nations, concluding that the procedure is safe and effective for a single-setting treatment of upper tract stones. To be sure, this study has its weaknesses: the follow-up period was short, and over one-third (63/176; 35.8%) had insufficient records for inclusion, so the true proportion of patients rendered stone-free by this procedure (though the authors cite stone clearance proportions in excess of 90%), and the true incidence of early postoperative complications, cannot be known.