title: Tail stent versus re-entry tube: a randomized comparison after percutaneous stone extraction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of a 7F tail stent with an 18F Councill nephrostomy tube and compare it to a 24F re-entry Malecot nephrostomy tube after percutaneous nephrolithotomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients were prospectively randomized to receive either a 24F re-entry Malecot nephrostomy tube (group A, n = 20) or a 7F tail stent with an 18F Councill nephrostomy tube (group B, n = 20) for postoperative drainage. Patients were evaluated with an analogue scale questionnaire 15 days after percutaneous nephrolithotomy at the routine office follow-up visit asking them to rate the flank pain on a 0 to 10 scale, urinary urgency on a 0 to 10 scale, and quality of life, while the external drainage tubes were still in place.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean length of stay was 4.5 and 3.5 days for groups A and B, respectively. Flank urine leakage was present in all patients in group A for a period of 6 to 12 hours, and no patient in group B had any significant flank drainage. A statistically significant reduction of flank pain in favor of group B was observed (P = 0.0002). We did not observe any statistically significant difference when evaluating the urgency (P = 0.1) and quality-of-life scores (P = 0.09) between the two groups, even though a trend was noted toward amelioration in favor of group B patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study suggest that the 7F tail stent is certainly better tolerated by the patients after percutaneous nephrolithotomy compared with the standard 24F re-entry Malecot nephrostomy tube.
authors.affiliation: Department ofEndourology and Laparoscopy, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Evangelos N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Liatsikos
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hom
authors.forename: Caner Z
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Dinlenc
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kapoor
authors.forename: Mihai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alexianu
authors.forename: Paulos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yohannes
authors.forename: Arthur D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D004322:Drainage / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D009403:Nephrostomy, Percutaneous / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D015607:Stents