INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE

The endoscopic management of staghorn calculi is very challenging owing to its complex anatomical configuration. The authors analyzed the clinical efficacy and safety of a single upper pole access PCNL (SUPA-PCNL) for Guy Stone Score (GSS) 3-4 staghorn calculi.

Prospective data collection was done on 56 consecutive patients who with GSS 3-4 staghorn calculi. All cases were treated with a standardized technique of a single upper pole access PCNL in the prone position. The patient demographics, stone characteristics, perioperative and postoperative outcomes were analyzed.

The cohort exhibited diversity in age (51.7+12), gender (male to female ratio of 5.5:4.5) comorbidities, and stone burden (4.82+1.96 cm). SUPA-PCNL demonstrated a high median stonefree rate (99.5%, IQR 90-100) with minimal complications, low blood loss with a of 200cc (IQR 100-300), and median hospital stay of 3.5 days (IQR 3-5). Stone characteristics did not significantly influence outcomes. A subset required secondary treatments (12%, n=7), but overall morbidity was low (16%, n=9): (7% n=4) of which required blood transfusion, and (9% n=5) due to sepsis. The following factors were associated with increased odds of perioperative morbidity: preoperative creatinine >3 mg/dl (OR 4.19 95% Cl 0.59 – 29.71 p=0.152) and a history of endoscopic surgery (OR 7.33 95% Cl 1.20-44.96 p=0.031).

SUPA-PCNL is effective and safe for the treatment of staghorn calculi. In select patients, this approach obviates the need for a multi-tract access or an endoscopically-combined intrarenal surgery (ECIRS).

Augmentation intestinal cystoplasty is usually the preferred method. However, this is complicated by mucus production, recurrent infection and cystolithiasis. In this report, the authors present a unique case of laparoscopically-assisted ureterocystoplasty and describe the operative technique and its advantages.

A 68-year-old female with a contracted urinary bladder and a solitary functioning kidney was diverted with a percutaneous nephrostomy tube for the past ten years. She consulted for a possible reconstructive procedure.

After a comprehensive preoperative evaluation, she underwent laparoscopically-assisted ureterocystoplasty. The operative time was 265 minutes with minimal blood loss. She had an unremarkable postoperative course. On follow-up, a voiding diary revealed urine volume of around 300 milliliters at 3 hour intervals, preservation of renal function, and no evidence of urinary infection.

Ureterocystoplasty was done using a combination of minimally invasive and open techniques. This procedure spared the patient a lifelong diversion with a nephrostomy tube and provided a better quality of life.

Previous abdominal surgeries have been viewed as a relative contraindication to laparoscopy. The authors report a case of a distal third ureteral stricture previously managed by multiple endoscopic and open procedures and successfully repaired with an exclusively laparoscopic approach.

A 37-year-old female, diagnosed case of chronic endometriosis had previously undergone an open excision of left ovarian cyst and an ipsilateral open psoas hitch reimplantation. Her right distal third ureteral stricture had been on chronic ureteral stent replacement for the past three years. After a comprehensive preoperative evaluation, the patient underwent a successful and uncomplicated laparoscopic ureteral reimplantation on the left. The authors describe their surgical technique and the challenges they encountered therein.

Recurrent distal third ureteral stricture previously managed by multiple open and endoscopic surgeries is a challenging disease to manage. An experienced minimally-invasive surgical team can successfully manage this problem laparoscopically without immediately resorting to open.

Introduction and Objective: Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is the standard of care for renal stones >2cm. Kidneys with anatomical disparities resulting from fusion (horseshoe), malrotation, ectopic location (allografts) and bifid collecting systems present as a challenge because variations in vasculature, calyceal rotation and intervening viscera may make percutaneous access treacherous. Reported here is the authors’ experience with PCNL in these types of kidneys. Methods: A chart review was done on all patients who underwent PCNL at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) from 2012-2016. Those with anatomical variations were identified and analyzed. Patient demographics (age, gender, co-morbidity) and stone characteristics (Guy’s stone score, laterality) were summarized. Intraoperative parameters such as location of puncture site (upper, mid, inferior calyces), number of tracts (single vs. multiple), operative time, estimated blood loss (EBL), and length of hospital stay (LOS) were analyzed. The primary endpoints were stone-free and complication rates according to the Clavien-Dindo (CD) classification. Results: A total of 1,657 PCNLs were performed during the study period, of which 42 had anatomical variants. The mean age was 45.2±8.8 (R= 28-65) with a male to female ratio of 3:1. There were 18 horseshoe (42.9%), 15 bifid (35.7%), 7 malrotated (16.7%) and 2 renal allografts (4.8%.); Laterality- wise, 28 (67%) were left-sided, 12 (29%) were right-sided and 2 (5%) had right-sided pelvic kidneys (allografts). The Guy stone scores were 3 and 4 in 13 (30%) and 29 (70%) patients, respectively. The mean stone diameter was 3.8±0.6 cms. (R=2.5-5.5). Majority, n=37 (88%) were treated with an upper pole access. Thirty-six (86%) needed a single tract and while six (14%) required multiple tracts (bifid pelvis). The mean operative time was 111.5±28.1 mins. (R=65-188), EBL was 461±278.4 cc (R=200-1300). LOS was 3.6±0.94 days (R=2-7). The stone-free rate was 95%. Twenty-five (59.5%) complications were documented. Fifteen (35.7%) had fever: Grade I CD, and 10 (23.8%) required transfusion: Grade II CD. There was no mortality. Conclusion PCNL still persists as the treatment of choice for nephrolithiasis in kidneys with variations in anatomy or position. A high stone clearance rate can be achieved while minimizing complications.
Nephrolithotomy, Percutaneous

A forgotten and encrusted ureteral stent poses as a management dilemma especially when the encrustations are so severe that they involve the entire length of the ureteral stent. These can lead to staghorn formation, high volume ureterolithiasis and giant cystolithiasis which are all encasing the ureteral stent, This may lead to significant morbidity and mortality as a result of chronic urinary obstruction, recurrent urinary tract infection, and renal dysfunction and renal failure. During the acute phase of the pandemic, a 31-year-old pregnant female, with 9 weeks age of gestation, underwent insertion of an indwelling ureteral stent for an obstructing renal pelvic calculus. She was lost to follow-up only to return two years later, with right flank and lower abdominal pains. Non-contrast CT showed encasement of the ureteral stent with a staghorn calculus on the proximal coil, extensive encrustations on the upper and middle segments, and a giant cystolithiasis at the distal coil of the ureteral stent. She underwent a supine endoscopically-combined intrarenal surgery (ECIRS), allowing retrograde retrieval of the ureteral stent after all the encrustations had been removed. There was minimal blood loss and no intraoperative and postoperative complications.Encrusted ureteral stents with large stone burden may be treated effectively and safely with an endoscopically-combined intrarenal surgery. This combined antegrade and retrograde approaches to the urinary tract allows synchronous treatment of all calcifications around the forgotten ureteral stent, without resorting to open surgery.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is the standard of care for the treatment of renal stones >2cm and staghorn calculi. This minimally invasive procedure however has intraoperative hemorrhage as one of its most dreaded complications. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the rate of hemorrhage and transfusion requirements among patients undergoing either PCNL or open stone surgery (OSS). METHODS: This was a retrospective study conducted at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute Medical Records Department. Data were collected for the period of January 2018 to December 2019. RESULTS: One hundred forty cases were included, 102 patients in the PCNL group and 38 in the OSS. The mean age 50.84±11.89 vs. 50.50±10.09 with male to female ratio of 1.2:1 for PCNL and open surgery, respectively. The most common comorbidity was hypertension (89, 63.6%). As regards stone size, majority had >4 cm stone size (61; 43.9%). In PCNL, there was no significant change noted in the hemoglobin (14.69±13.3 vs 12.03±1.91, p= 0.099) as compared to OSS, where there was significant decline (12.77±2.64 vs. 11.06±2.52; = .000. The number of packed red cell units for transfusion was also significantly higher in OSS compared to PCNL group (.526±.861 vs. 159±.502, p .020.) CONCLUSION In the treatment of staghorn calculi, PCNL incurs less blood loss and lower transfusion requirements compared to open stone surgery.
percutaneous nephrolithotomy ; blood transfusion ; hemorrhage

Management of nephrolithiasis in patients with urinary diversions pose a unique therapeutic challenge for the following reasons: 1) retrograde ureteral access is difficult to perform through a bowel diversion and 2) percutaneous renal access becomes challenging because of inability to do a retrograde pyelogram. For this reason, image-guided access through a combined ultrasound and fluoroscopic guidance are both necessary. This clinical problem becomes even more complicated when dealing with a solitary functioning kidney. Treatment should be precise in order to avoid any complications that may progress to renal failure. Presented here is a 15-year-old male adolescent who had previously undergone a radical cystectomy with an ileal conduit for a rhabdomyosarcoma of the bladder last 2008, and complained of flank pain, fever and foul-smelling urine. Imaging studies showed left obstructive hydronephrosis with ureterolithiasis and nephrolithiasis, and an atrophic contralateral kidney. A preliminary nephrostomy tube drainage was done to recover renal function, followed later by percutaneous endoscopic stone management. Discussed here are the challenges involved in his therapy as well as the advantages of a stepwise approach including the short-term outcomes.
ileal conduit ; pediatric ; solitary kidney

: Distal ureteral injury is a rare complication of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP). The authorsreport such a case which was repaired successfully with an exclusively laparoscopic approach. Theyalso describe the advantages of the flank position when performing this minimally invasive approach. THE CASE: 61-year-old Filipino male, with a PSA of 10 ng/cc, diagnosed with localized prostatecancer undergoes LRP, utilizing a posterior approach to the seminal vesicles. Intraoperatively, alarge intravesical median lobe was noted which was dissected meticulously after the division of thebladder neck. The excision of the 60gm prostate was completed in the conventional manner followedby a urethrovesical anastomosis. Blood loss was minimal with no apparent intraoperative events.Histopathology confirmed prostate cancer, Gleason score (4+3) with negative margins. Postoperatively,he had progressively high pelvic drain output and noticeably a relatively low urethral catheter output.CT urogram done on POD 8 showed a distal left ureteral disruption with intraabdominal extravasation.The authors performed a laparoscopic left ureteroneocystostomy on POD 9. The patient did wellafter the repair. After removing the indwelling catheter on postoperative day 14, he was dischargedin a good clinical condition. The ureteral stent was removed one month after the reimplantation.Follow-up CT urogram showed unobstructed flow through the reimplanted left ureter. Follow-upPSA at this time was 0.01ng/cc. CONCLUSION Ureteral injury following LRP is a devastating complication which may go undiagnosedintraoperatively. Prompt recognition, followed by a timely minimally invasive repair through alaparoscopic approach is needed to correct this problem.

A 40-year-old female complains of right flank plain associated with progressive abdominal enlargement. She had stable vital signs and normal renal function. CT urogram revealed bilateral flank masses suggestive of bilateral giant angiomyolipomas. She was counseled on the various treatment options and opted to undergo open surgical excision. She underwent an open clamp-less partial nephrectomy with no intraoperative events. Operative time was 120 minutes and estimated blood loss was 250cc. She was discharged in good clinical condition on postoperative day 4. Final histopathological analysis revealed angiomyolipoma. Genetic testing was positive for mosaic variant of tuberous sclerosis. After a year of follow up, she remains stable and is maintained on everolimus. Open ischemia-free partial nephrectomy may be done safely for giant renal angiomyolipomas. Radical nephrectomy should be reserved for the last option because the presence of contralateral disease may also require surgical excision in the future.

INTRODUCTION: To determine the risk factors contributing to pulmonary complications among patients who undergo upper pole prone percutaneous nephrolithotomy (uPPCNL). This will serve as a guide to urologists who utilize uPPCNL among their patients, so that they may monitor them more closely for these events. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was done on all patients who underwent uPPCNL from January 2015 to December 2017. Patient characteristics (age, gender, BMI, co-morbidity) and stone demographics (Stone size, Guy’s Stone score, laterality, stone location) were summarized as well as intraoperative parameters inclusive of operative time, number of tracts, estimated blood loss, and length of hospital stay. Point biserial correlation and Pearson Chi-square for independent tests were used to identify the independent predictors of pulmonary complications. RESULTS: Nine hundred ninety-two patients underwent uPPCNL during the study period. Fifty-two (5.2%) had pulmonary complications. Sixty-seven pulmonary complications were tallied because some had two complications at one time. The most common was pleural effusion 35(48%), followed by atelectasis in 16(30%), hospital-acquired pneumonia 14(27%) and acute respiratory distress syndrome 2(4%). Forty-one (78.8%) and 11(21.2%) required medical and surgical interventions, respectively. Higher Guy’s stone scores, larger stone size, and longer hospital stay were significant predictors for developing pleural effusion. Patients with higher preoperative serum creatinine and longer hospital stay were significantly associated with surgical management (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION The incidence of pulmonary complications after uPPCNL is low and only a minority need surgical management. When risk factors are present, these patients need to be monitored closely so that a timely intervention may be done to avoid life-threatening consequences.