Steerable antegrade stenting: a new trick of the trade.
BACKGROUND
Whereas a retrograde attempt to insert an indwelling stent is performed in lithotomy position, usually renal access is gained in a prone position. To overcome the time loss of patient repositioning, a renal puncture can be performed in a modified lithotomy position with torqued truncus and slightly elevated flank. There is a two-fold advantage of this position: transurethral and transrenal access can be obtained using a combined approach. In the present study, this simple technique is used to position a floppy guide wire through a modified needle directly through the renal pelvis into the ureter.


METHODS
The kidney is punctured in the modified lithotomy position under sonographic control using an initial three-part puncture needle. A floppy tip guide-wire is inserted into the collecting system via the needle after retrieving the stylet. The retracted needle is bent at the tip while the guide-wire is secured in the needle and the collecting system. The use of the floppy tip guide-wire helps to insert the curved needle back into the kidney pelvis, which becomes the precise guidance for the now steerable wire. The desired steerable stent is positioned under radiographic control in a retrograde fashion over the endoscopically harbored tip of the guide-wire. Two patient cohorts (newly described method and conventional method) were compared.


RESULTS
The presented steering procedure saves 16.5 mean minutes compared to the conventional antegrade stenting and 79.5 Euros compared to the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
The described combined antegrade-retrograde stent placement through a bent three-part puncture needle results in both clinical superiority (OR time, success rate) and financial benefits.
Nagele
Udo
U
Department of Urology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany. Udo.Nagele@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Anastasiadis
Aristotelis G
AG
Amend
Bastian
B
Schilling
David
D
Kuczyk
Markus
M
Stenzl
Arnulf
A
Sievert
Karl-Dietrich
KD
D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D006869:Hydronephrosis / Q000628:therapy*; D007682:Kidney Pelvis; D009403:Nephrostomy, Percutaneous / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000628:therapy*