title: Influence of technique of percutaneous tract creation on incidence of renal hemorrhage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Renal hemorrhage is one of the most common and worrisome complications of percutaneous renal surgery. We studied the incidence of renal hemorrhage and transfusion rates in patients undergoing balloon or Amplatz fascial dilation of the nephrostomy tract.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of 143 patients who underwent 150 percutaneous renal procedures, including percutaneous nephrolithotomy, antegrade endopyelotomy and percutaneous treatment of stones in caliceal diverticula, were reviewed. The nephrostomy tract was dilated with balloon (50 patients) or Amplatz sequential (100) dilators. Perioperative decreases in hemoglobin level and blood transfusion rates were compared between the 2 groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 100 patients undergoing percutaneous renal Amplatz dilation 25 (25%) required a blood transfusion, compared to only 5 of 50 (10%) undergoing balloon dilation. The difference in the transfusion rates between the 2 groups was statistically significant (p = 0.048).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improvements in the technique of percutaneous renal surgery have decreased the morbidity associated with these procedures. In our study use of balloon tract dilators led to less renal hemorrhage and lower transfusion rates compared to Amplatz dilation. Additionally, balloon dilation appears to be more rapid and avoids renal movement away from the surgeon, which occasionally occurs during Amplatz dilation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Davidoff
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Bellman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009403:Nephrostomy, Percutaneous / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*