title: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy.
abstract: Our initial experience with percutaneous nephrolithotomy in 46 randomly selected patients included 16 who had undergone previous surgery for calculi. A urologist and radiologist cooperated closely in carrying out the procedure, which was performed in one or two stages (16 and 30 cases respectively). Calculi were successfully removed from 80.4% of the patients with the use of grasping forceps or ultrasonic lithotripsy. Operating time ranged from 30 to 180 min and the average hospital stay was 8 days. Complications were few and of a transient nature. Further experience and patient selection is necessary in order to reduce the time and cost of this procedure.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007669:Kidney Calculi / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009403:Nephrostomy, Percutaneous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D011859:Radiography