Comparison of the Conventional PNL with Ecirs in the Treatment of Complete Staghorn Kidney Stones.

OBJECTIVE:  To analyse the results of conventional percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) and endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery (ECIRS) in treating complete staghorn kidney calculi.

STUDY DESIGN:  A comparative study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Urology, University of Health Sciences, Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey, between January 2007 and January 2022.

METHODOLOGY:  Clinical data and surgical outcomes of the adult patients who underwent conventional PNL or ECIRS were retrospectively reviewed. Two patient groups were compared regarding the fluoroscopy time, the number of access, surgical time, duration of hospitalisation, haemoglobin (Hb) reduction, complication, and stone-free rates.  Results: There were 132 renal units in the conventional PNL (Group 1) and 45 renal units in the ECIRS group (Group 2). The comparative analysis revealed that fluoroscopy time, surgical time, duration of hospital stay, number of access, and the Hb drop were significantly lower in the ECIRS group compared to the conventional PNL group. Although stone-free rates were 48.5% in Group 1 and 64.4% in Group 2, p=0.064 and p>0.05 respectively). The median value of the complication grade was 1 (1-7) in Group 1 and 1 (1-5) in Group 2, (U=2446.5, p=0.026).  Conclusion: The ECIRS is a successful and more secure surgical method for treating complete staghorn stones than PNL.

KEY WORDS:  PNL, ECIRS, Staghorn, Kidney, Stone.