The Surgical Technique of Mini Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy

The mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mini-PCNL) has become a versatile tool to remove kidney stones >2 cm, lower pole stones >1 cm, renal stones previously unresponsive to shockwave therapy or inaccessible by ureteroscopy (within a caliceal diverticulum), stones within complex urinary tracts (urinary diversions, transplanted kidney, and horseshoe kidneys), and large impacted proximal ureteral stones. After positioning in either the supine or prone position, a cystoscopy is performed to place an open-ended catheter, occlusion balloon, or Accordian device into the collecting system. A foley catheter is placed in the bladder. An ultrasound with a curvilinear probe is used to survey the kidney and guide access into the collecting system with an 18 g percutaneous needle. Once access is obtained, a small 0.5 cm skin incision is made and the percutaneous tract is dilated over a wire. A 16.5F metallic or self-dilating suctioning access sheath is positioned with fluoroscopic guidance. A 12F rigid mini-PCNL nephroscope is used to evaluate the collecting system. Once a calculus is observed, options for stone fragmentation include a lithotripter with ultrasonic and ballistic energy, or laser lithotripsy using holmium or thulium laser fibers. Flexible ureteroscopy can be considered to ensure clearance of the collecting system. A 6F ureteral stent can be placed in either a retrograde or antegrade approach for drainage. The tract is sealed using Surgiflo hemostatic matrix with thrombin. Guidelines for postoperative care and troubleshooting techniques for mini-PCNL are reviewed along with the surgical steps in the accompanying video (Supplementary Video S1). There are few randomized trials comparing mini-PCNL with standard PCNL and ureteroscopy. There is some evidence to suggest a difference in transfusion rates comparing mini- and standard PCNL, as well as differences in stone-free rates when comparing mini-PCNL with ureteroscopy for the treatment of lower pole stones.