The outcome of percutaneous nephrolithotomy on ≥50 mm staghorn and multiple calyceal stones.

Objective: To determine the success rate of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) in kidney stones over 50 milimeters.

Material and methods: Twenty-four patients with a renal stone size of >50 mm between January 2007 and December 2016 were enrolled. Stone-free and complication rates were investigated.

Results: Twenty-one (87.5%) patients were male and 3 (12.5%) were female. Fifteen (62.5%) stones were located in the right, and 9 (37.5%) in the left kidney. Twenty-one (87.5%) patients were operated using single-access, and three (12.5%) patients were double-access. Thirteen (54%) patients were found to have no stone after operation and 11 (46%) patients had residual stones. Extracorporal shock wave lithotripsy was applied to 5 of 11 patients with residual stones, while flexible ureteroscopy was applied to 6 of them. After additional treatments, 8 (33.5%) patients were observed to be stone free. The stone-free rate was 87.5%. The mean operation time was 135.43 (85-240) minutes. Hemoglobin levels before and after operation were 14.8 (12-16.7) and 12.6 (9.3-15.5), respectively (p=0.001). The hospital stay was 6.04 (4-8) days. Complications were observed in four patients (16.6%).

Conclusion: PNL has high stone-free rate on staghorn type large stones compared with multiple calyceal scattered large stones.