title: Preliminary study of percutaneous nephrolithotomy on an ambulatory basis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Preliminary study to assess the feasibility and safety of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) as an ambulatory procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between February 2011 and September 2012, 84 patients with renal calculi fulfilling the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Urology Department of Benha University Hospitals for PCNL. All patients were subjected to a full medical history, clinical, laboratory and radiological examinations. Tubeless PCNLs were done in the supine position, and an antegrade double-J stent was inserted. Operative time and intraoperative complications were recorded. Postoperatively, the hematocrit value, postoperative pain and analgesics, need of blood transfusion, stone-free rate, and length of hospital stay were recorded. Stable patients that could be safely discharged within 24 hours after surgery were considered ambulatory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All cases of tubeless PCNL were successfully done and no cases converted to open surgery. The overall stone-free rate was 91.7%, the mean postoperative pain score measured by the visual analog scale was 4.4 ± 1.2, the mean overall hematocrit deficit was 4.8 ± 2.2% and the mean hospital stay was 33.4 ± 17.5 hours. Ambulatory PCNL was accomplished in 60 out of 84 patients (71.4%) and double-J stents were removed 7-10 days postoperatively. In the non-ambulatory cases, double-J stents were removed after auxillary procedures were done according to each case.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PCNL can be safely done on an ambulatory basis under strict criteria, but further studies are needed to confirm and expand these findings.
authors.affiliation: Urology Department, Benha Faculty of Medicine, Benha, Egypt.
authors.forename: Magdy Ahmed
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: El-Tabey
authors.affiliation: Urology Department, Benha Faculty of Medicine, Benha, Egypt.
authors.forename: Osama Abdel-Wahab
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Abd-Allah
authors.affiliation: Urology Department, Benha Faculty of Medicine, Benha, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed Sebaey
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Urology Department, Benha Faculty of Medicine, Benha, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ehab Mohammed
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: El-Barky
authors.affiliation: Urology Department, Benha Faculty of Medicine, Benha, Egypt.
authors.forename: Yasser Abdel-Sattar
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Noureldin
keywords: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy; Stones