Tubeless versus conventional minimally invasive percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A comparative study

Abstract

PCNL (Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy) and MPCNL (Miniaturized Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy) are minimally invasive surgical procedures used to treat kidney stones. Both PCNL and MPCNL are effective treatments for kidney stones, but the choice of procedure depends on the size, location, and number of stones, as well as the patient's medical history and overall health. The present study was aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of tubeless PCNL compared to conventional PCNL in terms of Postoperative pain, hospital stay, Drop in Haemoglobin levels, Operative time, Stone free rate, Post operative fever. Methodology: A Prospective comparative interventional study has been done in Department of Urology, Mamata Super Specialty Hospital, Khammam with a total of 50 patients who were randomized into two groups of 25 each undergoing tubeless mini PCNL and conventional mPCNL respectively. Results: The mean age was 43.76 years and 41.92 years for mini PCNL and conventional mPCNL groups respectively, the mean calculus size in the tubeless PCNL group was 2.028 cm, while in the conventional PCNL group, it was 2.452 cm. There was significantly lesser operative time taken in conventional PCNL group when compared with Tubeless PCNL group. Stone free clearance rate 97% in tubeless PCNL. The mean hospital stay in tubeless PCNL group was significantly more than that in conventional PCNL. Conclusion: Both tubeless mPCNL and conventional mPCNL had similar surgical outcomes, but tubeless mPCNL had reduced surgery time, stone clearance, and hospital stay, indicating its potential for wider use.