title: Role of laparoscopic stone surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To define the role of laparoscopic stone surgery in current urologic practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  All cases of laparoscopic surgery for renal calculus disease performed at a single institution during a 2-year period were reviewed. A total of 449 stone-removing procedures were performed by one of us (D.G.A.) during this interval, of which 5 were laparoscopic (1.1%). Of the five laparoscopic procedures, three were pyelolithotomy/pyeloplasty, one was laparoscopic-assisted percutaneous nephrostolithotomy, and one was caliceal diverticular stone removal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 5 patients were rendered stone free, and no patient had perioperative complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A laparoscopic approach is rarely needed in patients requiring stone removal. However, it can be a safe and effective approach in the management of select patients with complex stone disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. rdesai@wfubmc.edu
authors.forename: Rahul A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.forename: Dean G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Assimos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008096:Lithotripsy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053040:Nephrolithiasis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009403:Nephrostomy, Percutaneous; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D013536:Suture Techniques; D016896:Treatment Outcome