Common Complications of Mini PCNL in Renal Stones more than 3.0 cm

Abstract

Mini PCNL (mPCNL) procedures now often employ miniature nephroscopes that were originally created to treat paediatric kidney stones. There is scarcity of knowledge regarding complications of mPCNL in renal stones larger than 3 cm. Objective: To determine the common complications of mini PCNL performed for renal stones larger than 3.0cm. Methods: This descriptive case series study was conducted over a period of one year from November 2022 to October 2023 registered patients aging 4 to 14 years undergoing mPCNL with renal stones >3cm. The patients underwent mini PCNL and patients were followed over a period of 4 weeks for early (occurring within 48 hours of procedure) and late complications (occurring after 48 hours). Results: A total of 86 cases were analyzed. The age of the participants ranged from 4 years to 14 years. The mean age of the patients was 9.19±2.49 years. Majority of the participants were in the age group 10-14 years 57 (66.3%). Male to female ratio was 1.2: 1. Among the early complications, the most commonly reported was post-pain reported by 24 (28.0%) patients, followed by hematuria in 15(17.4%). Surgical site infection was the most common late complications observed in 9 patients (10.4%) followed by re-do surgery for 2 patients (2.3%) and none of the patient suffered renal dysfunction among our participants. Conclusions: MPCNL can be offered as a safe and secure surgical option with excellent results and manageable side effects for treating nephrolithiasis larger than 3cm in children.