title: An alternative and inexpensive percutaneous access needle in pediatric patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The most important factor that increases the cost of percutaneous surgery is the disposable instruments used for the surgery. In this study we present the advantages of using an intravenous cannula instead of a percutaneous access needle for renal access.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recently, percutaneous stone surgery has grown in use in pediatric cases and is considered a minimally invasive surgery. The most important step in this surgery is access to the renal collecting systems. Although fluoroscopy has been used frequently at this stage, the use of ultrasound has recently increased. During percutaneous accesses under all types of imaging techniques, disposable 11- to 15-cm-long 18-ga needles are used. In pediatric cases, these longer needles are difficult to use. Using disposable materials in percutaneous nephrolithotomy increases the cost of the procedure. Therefore, we asserted that percutaneous access especially in pediatric cases could be performed using a 16-ga intravenous cannula (angiocath). Indeed, percutaneous access was performed successfully, especially in pediatric preschool patients. Shorter needle length, easy skin entry, comfort of manipulation, clear visualization of the metal needle on ultrasound, and wide availability can be considered advantages of this method. The angiocath is also less expensive than a percutaneous access needle.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Angiocath is inexpensive, easily available, and practical, and it is the shortest needle to perform percutaneous access in pediatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Dicle University School of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey. penbegul@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Necmettin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Penbegul
authors.forename: Haluk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Soylemez
authors.forename: Yasar
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
authors.forename: Ahmet Ali
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sancaktutar
authors.forename: Mehmet Nuri
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Bodakci
authors.forename: Namik Kemal
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Hatipoglu
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atar
authors.forename: Kadir
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yildirim
mesh_terms: D057785:Catheters; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007669:Kidney Calculi / Q000601:surgery; D009403:Nephrostomy, Percutaneous / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods