Nephrostomy Tube Misplaced into the Right Atrium: An Extremely Rare Case and Review of the Literature.

Although percutaneous nephrolithotomy is generally safe, it has various complications. We present an extremely rare case in which the nephrostomy tube pierced renal parenchyma, proceeded through the right renal vein and inferior vena cava, finally reaching the right atrium. Such a tube misplaced to atrium level was firstly reported, which was safely withdrawn using a 2-step process under fluoroscopic monitoring. We also recommend the tube be marked with different color lines to maintain awareness of the tube length that has passed the peel-away sheath. Such information might help to avoid such complication.

The use of nephrostomy tubes in optimizing surgical conditions for a patient with xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis.

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is a rare variant of pyelonephritis that often requires radical surgery. We report a case of a 51-year-old female patient who was managed with prolonged placement of nephrostomy tubes prior to surgery. This case illustrates the importance of surgical optimization of a poor operative candidate and the use of nephrostomy tubes as a temporizing management strategy.

Comparative Study of Percutaneous Tic Technique Vs Standard Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the PERC-tic technique, described as placement of dual wires under fluoroscopic guidance adjacent to the stone within the obstructed calyx, to standard percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) with working wires secured down the ureter. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent a PCNL procedure between October 2016 and November 2018. Patients undergoing the PERC-tic technique were compared to patients undergoing standard PCNL. Regression models evaluated if PERC-tic PCNL was associated with equivalent stone-free rates to standard PCNL at 90 days, need for secondary procedures, and 90-day hospital readmission. RESULTS: This study involved 126 PCNL cases of which 63 were done using the PERC-tic technique and 63 with standard PCNL. In multivariate analysis, there was no statistical difference in 90-day stone-free rate between standard PCNL and PERC-tic cohorts (P = .08). We did note a 6 times higher likelihood of needing secondary procedures for residual stones in the PERC-tic vs standard PCNL groups (71% vs 30% P <.0001). There was no statistical significance in 90-day hospital readmission rates between groups (P = .47). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest similar stone-free rate at 90 days and higher rates of secondary procedures after PERC-tic PCNL compared to the standard approach; however, there was no difference in complications. These findings may reflect decreased visualization with the PERC-tic technique or simply be reflective of the case difficulty requiring the use of the PERC-tic technique. These findings can be used for patient counseling when considering this technique for complex stone disease.

Management of urinary-tract fistulas using reversible balloon nephrostomy: a single-center retrospective analysis of 56 patients.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of balloon nephrostomy (BN) for treating urinary tract fistulas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a single-center retrospective analysis, 56 patients were treated using BN between 2003 and 2014. All causes of urinary tract fistula were included. We assessed the effectiveness of drainage, complications, and the types of reconstruction surgery used. Success was defined as fistula closure without surgery. RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 25 males (54%) and 31 females (55%) with a median age of 63 years who underwent BN for a urinary fistula secondary to surgery, i.e., urologic (40%; n = 22), gynecologic (34%; n = 19), or digestive (20%; n = 11). Of these patients, 48 (86%) had a history of cancer (49% had a tumor progression). Median drainage time was 90 days (10-583), with an average of three successive readjustments needed per patient. We obtained a 21% success rate (n = 12), morbidity was 6.5% (urinary sepsis, renal abscess, ureteral stricture), and 7% of patients developed ureteral stricture after balloon removal. There was no recurrence of any fistula within a median follow-up time of 15.2 months. CONCLUSION: This minimally invasive procedure can be used for selected urinary tract fistulas with few complications. It can also be used safely in populations that have several comorbidities.

Robotic renal cyst decortication with calyceal diverticulectomy in a toddler - technical practicalities: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Incidence of simultaneous renal cyst with calyceal diverticula in contralateral kidney is rare in children. A minimally invasive procedure in different sittings is often recommended. CASE PRESENTATION: A Chinese 15-month-old boy presented to the Urology department of a tertiary care center with right flank pain. He was subjected to magnetic resonance urography and was diagnosed as having right renal cyst and contralateral calyceal diverticula. He underwent robotic cyst decortication and calyceal diverticulectomy using da Vinci robot. His postoperative period was uneventful. He was discharged on fifth postoperative day. Histopathology was consistent with simple renal cyst. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic combined cyst decortication and contralateral diverticulectomy is feasible in selected small children. However, it demands adequate technical skill and experience.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty in infants using 5-mm instruments.

BACKGROUND: Utilization of the robotic approach to pyeloplasty continues to grow in the field of pediatric urology. Adoption in the infant population has perhaps been the slowest because of the limited operative domain and relatively large instruments. METHOD: In this video, we demonstrate key steps in performing an infant robotic pyeloplasty using the smallest instruments currently available for the da Vinci S and Si systems (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, California). RESULTS: At our institution, 20 robot-assisted laparoscopic infant pyeloplasties have been performed using 5-mm instruments. There have been no conversions to an open approach. The patient age ranged from 2 to 9 months old. The average operative time was 2 h and 28 min. CONCLUSION: The treatment success rate was 95% at an average of 8.3 months of follow-up.

The Circle Nephrostomy Tube: An Attractive Nephrostomy Drainage System Following Complex Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy.

OBJECTIVE: To describe our experience with the circle nephrostomy tube (NT) (Cook Medical), a drainage system uniquely designed for use after multiple-access percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL). METHODS: A retrospective review of 1317 consecutive patients undergoing 1599 PNLs at IU Health Methodist Hospital was performed. All multiple access cases utilizing circle NTs were reviewed and analyzed. The method of insertion of circle NT was demonstrated. RESULTS: A total of 1843 accesses were obtained in 1599 renal units (RUs): 380 upper pole, 129 interpolar, and 1334 lower pole. Multiple accesses in this series were required in 282 RUs (17.6%). Following multiple-access PNL, circle NTs, Cope loop, and reentry Malecot NTs were inserted in 91 RUs (32.3%), 208 RUs (73.8%), and 31 RUs (11%), respectively. None of the patients who had circle NT experienced clogging, dislodgement, or obstruction of the tube. The cost of circle, Cope loop, and Malecot NTs are 121.73 USD, 95.20 USD, and 81 USD, respectively. CONCLUSION: Circle NTs are easy to insert, secure, cost-effective compared with inserting two NTs. Circle NTs provide excellent drainage and facilitate secondary procedures.