Renal Stone
PCNL is here
to stay
PCNL will go
away
The territories of Renal Stone disease
Small less than 10 mm
Medium 10-20 mm
Large more than 20 mm
Special situations
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2019
Stone less than
300 mm 2
• ESWL
• PNL
Stone MORE
than 300 mm 2
• PNL
• ESWL WITH
OR
WITHOUT
PNL
• PNL with or
without
ESWL
• Open
Stone less than
300 mm 2
• ESWL
• PNL
• RIRS
• LAP
• OS
Stone MORE than
300 mm 2
• PNL
• ESWL WITH
OR WITHOUT
PNL
• PNL with or
without ESWL
• LAP
In lower pole
• ESWL
• PNL
• RIRS
• Are
competing
1b A
ESWL
refractory
stone
• RIRS 1b A
2011
2012
2019
Small less than 10 mm
Medium 10-20 mm
Large more than 20 mm
Special situations
• Large and complex upper urinary tract calculi
can be addressed safely and efficiently with
retrograde endoscopic techniques.
obesity
Anatomy
previous treatment failure
poor candidates for PCNL)
•73.9% of patients were stone
free (88% lower pole)
•8.7% progressed to further
intervention.
•more than 4 cm predicted
treatment failure (40%).
Bansal P, Sehgal A (2017) Expanding Indications of Flexible Ureteroscopy in Renal and
Ureteral Stones. J Urol Ren Dis 2017: 147. DOI: 10.29011/2575-7903.000147
• Senior Consultant Urologist, RG Stone and Super Speciality Hospital, Ludhiana,
India
• Multisession FURS could provide a comparable final
SFR and shorter recovery time with fewer overall
complications in the treatment of intermediate-size
renal stones (2-3cm), which could indicate that FURS is
an effective and safe alternative to PCNL in the
treatment of patients with intermediate-size (2-3cm)
renal stones.
Will Rogers phenomenon
The indications of PCNL is getting less and
narrowed by more contraindications
PCNL
ESWL
RIRS
Small less than 10 mm
Medium 10-20 mm
Large more than 20 mm
Special situations
PCNL contra indications
• Untreated infection.
• Coagulopathies
• bowel interposition.
• Tumour in the tract
area.
• Pregnancy
• Retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS)
and other MIT has become more and
more fashionable because of its high
safety and repeatability
INDICATIONS of RIRS
• failure of previous SWL
• lower calyx stones
• smaller than 1.5 cm.
Ben Van Cleynenbreugel1, Özcan Kılıç2, Murat Akand
Retrograde intrarenal surgery for renal stones - Part 1 Turk J Urol 2017; 43(2): 112-21
“However, the limitations in the
indication of RIRS has been reduced
recently”
• Medium-sized stones those are not suitable for SWL or
PCNL
• SWL-resistant stones
• Non-opaque stones
• Existence of anatomic abnormalities
• Co-existence of renal and ureteral stones
• Need of treating bilateral renal stones successfully in a
single session
• Multiple kidney stones including nephrocalcinosis
• Bleeding disorders
• patients with urinary diversion
• Combined or ancillary procedures following PCNL
• Renoureteral malformations
• Patient habitus (obese, musculoskeletal deformities)
• Stones >3 cm (may require two or more sessions)
Ben Van Cleynenbreugel1, Özcan Kılıç2, Murat Akand Retrograde intrarenal surgery for renal stones
- Part 1 Turk J Urol 2017; 43(2): 112-21
Small less than 10 mm
Medium 10-20 mm
Large more than 20 mm
Special situations
Today, fURS is quickly
evolving from a procedure for
exclusive use of enthusiast to
a mainstay of treatment
for the majority of
urinary stones even in
the most
complicated clinical
scenarios.
Volume 36, Part D, December 2016, Pages 681-687
Minimally invasive
• High success rate at
accepted cost and
complications
• Easy to perform
• Short learning curve
• Reproducible
• Amenable to
technical
refinements
I thought its going to be minimally
invasive surgery
• 4th grade penetrating
renal trauma
Controlled????
Complications
• Acute Hemorrhage
• Delayed Hemorrhage
• Collecting System Injury
• Visceral Injury
• Pleural Injury
• Metabolic Complications
• Postoperative Fever and Sepsis
• Neuromusculoskeletal
• Venous Thromboembolism
• Tube Dislodgement
• Collecting System Obstruction
• Loss of Renal Function
• Death
Position related
(pulmonary dysfunction 5-10%.
Atelectasis and decreased functional
capacity both sides)
Technique related :
Pneumothorax<5%
Hypotension
hemorrhage <10%
residual stone and migration,
ureteral and vascular injuries
Post op.:
prolonged leakage, hemorrhage,
decreased renal function and stone
recurrence .
( Bodner and Resnick, 1990)
PCNL Open
A total complication rate of up to 83% following
percutaneous nephrolithotomy was
recognized. These complications were mostly clinically
insignificant including minor bleeding or fever.
The PCNL operation was found to have a
significantly higher risk for readmission when
compared to RIRS
(27.1% vs. 20.4%, respectively, p = 0.0041).
Complications
Residual stones
Colonic injury Persistent leakage
requiring Stenting
bleeding Grade l (7.9%), Grade 2 (3.17%), Grade 3a
(4.76%) and Grade 3b (1.58%).
The issue of pre-op stenting
Urology. 2012 Dec;80(6):1214-9.
retrospective review of 421 patients undergoing ureteroscopy from February
2014 to present was conducted.
Prestenting did not influence operative time (P = 0.8534) or stone-free
rates (P = 0.2241). dURS patients were more likely to call the nurse; however,
psURS versus dURS yielded
no difference in return to the ED or readmission within 90 days.
Conclusions: In this study, preoperative stenting offered few operative
advantages and did not meaningfully
influence returns to the ED and readmissions within 90 days after ureteroscopy.
A total of
11,239
patients
from nine
studies
SFR
OR time
Compliations
UAS
• no difference in SFR
• ureteral injury or hemorrhage did not increase
• postoperative infection decreased
CROES
Learning curve
• 24 PCNL procedures to obtain a good proficiency
• Competence at after 60 cases
• excellence is obtained at >100 cases.
PCNL is the most
complicated stone
surgery technique to
teach.
An improvement in operation duration was
observed, and absence of complications was
achieved after 45 cases.
The improvement in stone clearance was
observed up to the last subjects.
Competence and excellence were achieved after
45 and 105 operations, respectively.
OPEN SURGEY
pyelolithotomy
PCNL
Not truly minimally invasive
All happen in urine
Complications didn’t change
along time
and experience
inlet stone exit
•Midi-PCNL
•mini-PCNL
•ultra-mini-PCNL (UMP)
•mini-micro-PCNL
•micro-PCNL (m-PCNL)
•super-mini-PCNL (SMP) • confusing and misleading
• there is no standardized
• longer OR time
• potentially higher intrarenal
pressure may limit the benefit of
super miniaturized systems.
• higher cost effectiveness compared to flexible
ureteroscopy
Micro PCNL UMP
overall complication rate was 15.2%
[Clavien classification
I (44%), II (28%), III (28%)]
overall complication rate
was 6.2% [Clavien classification I (57%), II
(36%), III
(7%)], with
6 of 67 patients (8.95%) suffered from significant
hemorrhage in this study, 4 of the patients (5.9%)
required blood transfusion.
Taking all these factors into account, we could treat a small
stone in a low risk stone former with a big access PCNL,
harvesting the stone en bloc to reduce future stone
formation and at the same time do a flexible approach
even in larger stone burden in high-risk stone formers,
knowing that these patients suffer from future stones
anyway.
x
inlet
• The scope and
digital image
acquisition
• Accessories
• Disposable
scopes
• Robotic RIRS
• Hybrid
techniques
Conclusions: fURS with holmium laser lithotripsy without fluoroscopy was a feasible and
safe
treatment for kidney stones. There was no difference between the use of fluoroscopy
or not
regarding complications or SFR. Thus, we can reduce the risks of radiation exposure to
patients and medical staff whilst maintaining surgical success. However, multicentre
randomised
controlled studies are necessary to evaluate fluoroless URS further and to confirm our
present results.
Who is the Strongest bully
‫?الفتوة‬
Future algorithm
Renal
stone
Less than 20 mm RIRS ESWL
20-40 mm
Extra-renal pelvis
No previous scar
Low stone score
LAP-RAP
RIRS
Intrarenal pelvis
Previous scar
High stone score
PCNL RIRS
ECIRS
special clinical situation RIRS LAP RAP
PCNL
Lower pole stone
RIRS PCNL ESWL
More than 40 mm PCNL RIRS ECIRS
Open surgery-LAP
MIT
RENAL Stone
PCNL
SUPINE
SUPINE IN
STAGHORN
SUPRACOST
AL SUPINE
RIRS
MINI PERC VS
FURS in
lower CX
MINI Vs
URS in
PELVIC St
Lap
pyelolith
otomy
• The complications of PCNL are still present and
did not disappear with miniaturization of the
track
• The learning and teaching
• The cost
• The literature effect, and nothing new
• PCNL limitations ?
• RIRS is the future ?
• What are the limitations of RIRS , and are they
really considered limitations ?
Results: From January 2001 to December 2015, 114,789 ureteroscopy or pyeloscopy procedures for stone
extraction in adult patients were performed in Australia. During the same period, 48,209 SWL and 6956 PCNL
procedures were performed. Ureteroscopy and pyeloscopy procedures have been increasing by an average of
9.3% year-on-year, population adjusted, while SWL has decreased by 3.5% and PCNL by 6.4% every year over
the same period. In absolute terms, scope procedures have increased yearly by an average of 3.9 per 100,000 of
population (confidence interval [95% CI]: 3.2, 4.5), while SWL has changed by -0.77 (95% CI: -0.88, -0.65)
and PCNL by -0.16 (95% CI: -0.17, -0.14).
Conclusion: Over the past 15 years in Australia, the total number of stone treatment procedures has increased
significantly. Considerable increases in ureteroscopy were observed with relative and absolute reductions in
SWL and PCNL. Regional variations in urolithiasis management strategies highlight the need for consensus on
stone treatments within Australia.
• Common (greater than 1 in 10)
• Mild burning or bleeding on passing urine for short period after
operation
• Temporary insertion of a bladder catheter
• Insertion of a stent with a further procedure to remove it
• The stent may cause pain, frequency and bleeding in the urine
• Recurrence of stones
• Occasional (between 1 in 10 and 1 in 50)
• Inability to retrieve the stone or movement of the stone back
into kidney where it
• is not retrievable
• Kidney damage or infection needing further treatment
• Failure to pass the telescope if the ureter is narrow
• Rare (less than 1 in 50)
• Damage to the ureter with need for open operation or tube
placed into kidney
• directly from back to allow any leak to heal
• Very rarely, scarring or stricture of the ureter requiring further
procedures
into increased efficacy and safety, and—
sometimes—decreased costs. Furthermore,
the
evolution of endoscopes, and ancillary device
and instruments has resulted in considerable
expansion of indications for ureterorenoscopic
treatments.
the data to date
and the ongoing development of new robotic devices are
encouraging for robotic stone surgery in the near future.
Therefore, in the authors’ opinion, especially regarding
the field of endourological surgery, there will be a shift
towards the use of robotic (assistance) devices.
Nano-robots
• endoscopic application nearly atraumatic and
improve treatment precision and quality.
• Recent technical progress has made this former
science-fiction scenario a potential reality.
• Nanomotors, -pumps, and -electromechanical
manipulation devices are being developed for
future use in the human body [52,53].
• These techniques should comprise next
generation treatment approaches for urolithiasis.
• Cx diverticulum
Miniaturization didn’t add
A continuous reduction of tract size is not the only revolution
of the last years. There is constant ongoing interest in developing new
efficient miniature instruments, intracorporeal lithotripters and
sophisticated tract creation methods.
We can summarize that, PCNL represents a valuable well-known tool in
the field of endourology. We should be open minded to future changes
in surgical approaches and technological improvements.
inlet
RIRS VS PNL (2).pptx
RIRS VS PNL (2).pptx
RIRS VS PNL (2).pptx
RIRS VS PNL (2).pptx

RIRS VS PNL (2).pptx

  • 3.
    Renal Stone PCNL ishere to stay PCNL will go away
  • 6.
    The territories ofRenal Stone disease Small less than 10 mm Medium 10-20 mm Large more than 20 mm Special situations
  • 7.
    2007 2008 20092010 2011 2019 Stone less than 300 mm 2 • ESWL • PNL Stone MORE than 300 mm 2 • PNL • ESWL WITH OR WITHOUT PNL • PNL with or without ESWL • Open Stone less than 300 mm 2 • ESWL • PNL • RIRS • LAP • OS Stone MORE than 300 mm 2 • PNL • ESWL WITH OR WITHOUT PNL • PNL with or without ESWL • LAP In lower pole • ESWL • PNL • RIRS • Are competing 1b A ESWL refractory stone • RIRS 1b A 2011 2012 2019
  • 9.
    Small less than10 mm Medium 10-20 mm Large more than 20 mm Special situations
  • 10.
    • Large andcomplex upper urinary tract calculi can be addressed safely and efficiently with retrograde endoscopic techniques.
  • 11.
    obesity Anatomy previous treatment failure poorcandidates for PCNL) •73.9% of patients were stone free (88% lower pole) •8.7% progressed to further intervention. •more than 4 cm predicted treatment failure (40%).
  • 12.
    Bansal P, SehgalA (2017) Expanding Indications of Flexible Ureteroscopy in Renal and Ureteral Stones. J Urol Ren Dis 2017: 147. DOI: 10.29011/2575-7903.000147 • Senior Consultant Urologist, RG Stone and Super Speciality Hospital, Ludhiana, India
  • 15.
    • Multisession FURScould provide a comparable final SFR and shorter recovery time with fewer overall complications in the treatment of intermediate-size renal stones (2-3cm), which could indicate that FURS is an effective and safe alternative to PCNL in the treatment of patients with intermediate-size (2-3cm) renal stones.
  • 17.
  • 18.
    The indications ofPCNL is getting less and narrowed by more contraindications PCNL ESWL RIRS
  • 19.
    Small less than10 mm Medium 10-20 mm Large more than 20 mm Special situations
  • 20.
    PCNL contra indications •Untreated infection. • Coagulopathies • bowel interposition. • Tumour in the tract area. • Pregnancy
  • 23.
    • Retrograde intrarenalsurgery (RIRS) and other MIT has become more and more fashionable because of its high safety and repeatability
  • 24.
    INDICATIONS of RIRS •failure of previous SWL • lower calyx stones • smaller than 1.5 cm. Ben Van Cleynenbreugel1, Özcan Kılıç2, Murat Akand Retrograde intrarenal surgery for renal stones - Part 1 Turk J Urol 2017; 43(2): 112-21 “However, the limitations in the indication of RIRS has been reduced recently” • Medium-sized stones those are not suitable for SWL or PCNL • SWL-resistant stones • Non-opaque stones • Existence of anatomic abnormalities • Co-existence of renal and ureteral stones • Need of treating bilateral renal stones successfully in a single session • Multiple kidney stones including nephrocalcinosis • Bleeding disorders • patients with urinary diversion • Combined or ancillary procedures following PCNL • Renoureteral malformations • Patient habitus (obese, musculoskeletal deformities) • Stones >3 cm (may require two or more sessions) Ben Van Cleynenbreugel1, Özcan Kılıç2, Murat Akand Retrograde intrarenal surgery for renal stones - Part 1 Turk J Urol 2017; 43(2): 112-21
  • 26.
    Small less than10 mm Medium 10-20 mm Large more than 20 mm Special situations
  • 27.
    Today, fURS isquickly evolving from a procedure for exclusive use of enthusiast to a mainstay of treatment for the majority of urinary stones even in the most complicated clinical scenarios. Volume 36, Part D, December 2016, Pages 681-687
  • 29.
    Minimally invasive • Highsuccess rate at accepted cost and complications • Easy to perform • Short learning curve • Reproducible • Amenable to technical refinements I thought its going to be minimally invasive surgery
  • 30.
    • 4th gradepenetrating renal trauma Controlled????
  • 32.
    Complications • Acute Hemorrhage •Delayed Hemorrhage • Collecting System Injury • Visceral Injury • Pleural Injury • Metabolic Complications • Postoperative Fever and Sepsis • Neuromusculoskeletal • Venous Thromboembolism • Tube Dislodgement • Collecting System Obstruction • Loss of Renal Function • Death Position related (pulmonary dysfunction 5-10%. Atelectasis and decreased functional capacity both sides) Technique related : Pneumothorax<5% Hypotension hemorrhage <10% residual stone and migration, ureteral and vascular injuries Post op.: prolonged leakage, hemorrhage, decreased renal function and stone recurrence . ( Bodner and Resnick, 1990) PCNL Open
  • 34.
    A total complicationrate of up to 83% following percutaneous nephrolithotomy was recognized. These complications were mostly clinically insignificant including minor bleeding or fever.
  • 35.
    The PCNL operationwas found to have a significantly higher risk for readmission when compared to RIRS (27.1% vs. 20.4%, respectively, p = 0.0041). Complications Residual stones
  • 36.
    Colonic injury Persistentleakage requiring Stenting bleeding Grade l (7.9%), Grade 2 (3.17%), Grade 3a (4.76%) and Grade 3b (1.58%).
  • 38.
    The issue ofpre-op stenting
  • 39.
  • 40.
    retrospective review of421 patients undergoing ureteroscopy from February 2014 to present was conducted. Prestenting did not influence operative time (P = 0.8534) or stone-free rates (P = 0.2241). dURS patients were more likely to call the nurse; however, psURS versus dURS yielded no difference in return to the ED or readmission within 90 days. Conclusions: In this study, preoperative stenting offered few operative advantages and did not meaningfully influence returns to the ED and readmissions within 90 days after ureteroscopy.
  • 41.
    A total of 11,239 patients fromnine studies SFR OR time Compliations
  • 42.
    UAS • no differencein SFR • ureteral injury or hemorrhage did not increase • postoperative infection decreased CROES
  • 43.
    Learning curve • 24PCNL procedures to obtain a good proficiency • Competence at after 60 cases • excellence is obtained at >100 cases. PCNL is the most complicated stone surgery technique to teach.
  • 44.
    An improvement inoperation duration was observed, and absence of complications was achieved after 45 cases. The improvement in stone clearance was observed up to the last subjects. Competence and excellence were achieved after 45 and 105 operations, respectively.
  • 46.
    OPEN SURGEY pyelolithotomy PCNL Not trulyminimally invasive All happen in urine
  • 49.
  • 50.
  • 52.
    •Midi-PCNL •mini-PCNL •ultra-mini-PCNL (UMP) •mini-micro-PCNL •micro-PCNL (m-PCNL) •super-mini-PCNL(SMP) • confusing and misleading • there is no standardized • longer OR time • potentially higher intrarenal pressure may limit the benefit of super miniaturized systems.
  • 54.
    • higher costeffectiveness compared to flexible ureteroscopy
  • 55.
    Micro PCNL UMP overallcomplication rate was 15.2% [Clavien classification I (44%), II (28%), III (28%)] overall complication rate was 6.2% [Clavien classification I (57%), II (36%), III (7%)], with
  • 57.
    6 of 67patients (8.95%) suffered from significant hemorrhage in this study, 4 of the patients (5.9%) required blood transfusion.
  • 58.
    Taking all thesefactors into account, we could treat a small stone in a low risk stone former with a big access PCNL, harvesting the stone en bloc to reduce future stone formation and at the same time do a flexible approach even in larger stone burden in high-risk stone formers, knowing that these patients suffer from future stones anyway.
  • 59.
  • 61.
    • The scopeand digital image acquisition • Accessories • Disposable scopes • Robotic RIRS • Hybrid techniques
  • 62.
    Conclusions: fURS withholmium laser lithotripsy without fluoroscopy was a feasible and safe treatment for kidney stones. There was no difference between the use of fluoroscopy or not regarding complications or SFR. Thus, we can reduce the risks of radiation exposure to patients and medical staff whilst maintaining surgical success. However, multicentre randomised controlled studies are necessary to evaluate fluoroless URS further and to confirm our present results.
  • 64.
    Who is theStrongest bully ‫?الفتوة‬
  • 68.
    Future algorithm Renal stone Less than20 mm RIRS ESWL 20-40 mm Extra-renal pelvis No previous scar Low stone score LAP-RAP RIRS Intrarenal pelvis Previous scar High stone score PCNL RIRS ECIRS special clinical situation RIRS LAP RAP PCNL Lower pole stone RIRS PCNL ESWL More than 40 mm PCNL RIRS ECIRS Open surgery-LAP
  • 69.
    MIT RENAL Stone PCNL SUPINE SUPINE IN STAGHORN SUPRACOST ALSUPINE RIRS MINI PERC VS FURS in lower CX MINI Vs URS in PELVIC St Lap pyelolith otomy
  • 70.
    • The complicationsof PCNL are still present and did not disappear with miniaturization of the track • The learning and teaching • The cost • The literature effect, and nothing new • PCNL limitations ? • RIRS is the future ? • What are the limitations of RIRS , and are they really considered limitations ?
  • 71.
    Results: From January2001 to December 2015, 114,789 ureteroscopy or pyeloscopy procedures for stone extraction in adult patients were performed in Australia. During the same period, 48,209 SWL and 6956 PCNL procedures were performed. Ureteroscopy and pyeloscopy procedures have been increasing by an average of 9.3% year-on-year, population adjusted, while SWL has decreased by 3.5% and PCNL by 6.4% every year over the same period. In absolute terms, scope procedures have increased yearly by an average of 3.9 per 100,000 of population (confidence interval [95% CI]: 3.2, 4.5), while SWL has changed by -0.77 (95% CI: -0.88, -0.65) and PCNL by -0.16 (95% CI: -0.17, -0.14). Conclusion: Over the past 15 years in Australia, the total number of stone treatment procedures has increased significantly. Considerable increases in ureteroscopy were observed with relative and absolute reductions in SWL and PCNL. Regional variations in urolithiasis management strategies highlight the need for consensus on stone treatments within Australia.
  • 73.
    • Common (greaterthan 1 in 10) • Mild burning or bleeding on passing urine for short period after operation • Temporary insertion of a bladder catheter • Insertion of a stent with a further procedure to remove it • The stent may cause pain, frequency and bleeding in the urine • Recurrence of stones • Occasional (between 1 in 10 and 1 in 50) • Inability to retrieve the stone or movement of the stone back into kidney where it • is not retrievable • Kidney damage or infection needing further treatment • Failure to pass the telescope if the ureter is narrow • Rare (less than 1 in 50) • Damage to the ureter with need for open operation or tube placed into kidney • directly from back to allow any leak to heal • Very rarely, scarring or stricture of the ureter requiring further procedures
  • 74.
    into increased efficacyand safety, and— sometimes—decreased costs. Furthermore, the evolution of endoscopes, and ancillary device and instruments has resulted in considerable expansion of indications for ureterorenoscopic treatments.
  • 76.
    the data todate and the ongoing development of new robotic devices are encouraging for robotic stone surgery in the near future. Therefore, in the authors’ opinion, especially regarding the field of endourological surgery, there will be a shift towards the use of robotic (assistance) devices.
  • 77.
    Nano-robots • endoscopic applicationnearly atraumatic and improve treatment precision and quality. • Recent technical progress has made this former science-fiction scenario a potential reality. • Nanomotors, -pumps, and -electromechanical manipulation devices are being developed for future use in the human body [52,53]. • These techniques should comprise next generation treatment approaches for urolithiasis.
  • 78.
  • 79.
  • 80.
    A continuous reductionof tract size is not the only revolution of the last years. There is constant ongoing interest in developing new efficient miniature instruments, intracorporeal lithotripters and sophisticated tract creation methods. We can summarize that, PCNL represents a valuable well-known tool in the field of endourology. We should be open minded to future changes in surgical approaches and technological improvements. inlet

Editor's Notes

  • #3 The title refers to the idea that the nature of evil has changed, and old value systems no longer apply. 
  • #11 Territories large stone
  • #12 Territories large stone
  • #18 The Will Rogers phenomenon is obtained when moving an element from one set to another set raises the average values of both sets. It is based on the following quote, attributed (perhaps incorrectly)[1] to comedian Will Rogers: When the Okies left Oklahoma and moved to California, they raised the average intelligence level in both states.
  • #26 Special situations
  • #34 Pcnl complications are heavy
  • #36 Complications with pcnl
  • #53 Reducing the instrument size less than 10 Fr takes away the possibility of stone extraction and potentially raises the intrarenal pressure into pathological levels. Sheath sizes less than 14 Fr tend to have a longer operation time and decreasing SFR in larger stones. Therefore, it is questionable whether miniaturization below 18 Fr improves outcome and safety in a standard patient.
  • #59 For many years endourologists are searching for the most efficient and least traumatic stone treatment. More and more miniaturized instruments and innovative stone disintegration tools are continuously expanding our armamentarium [1, 2]. Meanwhile, currently available modern imaging modalities are able to detect more and smaller residual fragments postoperatively. In that way, the average stone-free rates are decreasing dramatically despite our new sophisticated treatment options [3]. Dealing with this dilemma we have to take into consideration that in first-time stone formers complete stone-free status seems to be of uttermost importance since even residual fragments smaller than 4 mm could be responsible for acute symptoms in the future [4–6]. But what are the possibilities to offer the best solution to our patients? Which technologies fit the need for the least traumatic but most efficient procedure in stone surgery? Accessing almost every part of the kidney is possible with new flexible multiple-use and disposable instruments. Pressure control can be achieved by the use of access sheaths and irrigation/suction devices. New high-frequency and lowpower laser technologies enable us to dust stones of any composition and size in reasonable time and minimum risk. Yet late postoperative radiologic control after 1–3 months is discouraging [3, 7]. A significant number of patients suffer from residual fragments and their consequences, namely renal colic and stone growth [6, 8]. A number of well-known factors may play a role in postoperative stone clearance, like patient mobility, kidney geometry, and fluid intake [9]. Nevertheless, a straightforward prediction of a stone-free status cannot always be made preoperatively. Recent knowledge about different tract dilation methods might relativize the theory of size-related bleeding complications in PCNL [10]. The most effective method does avoid residual fragments by achieving stone extraction in one piece. Risk stratification of stone patients in high and low-risk stone formers and its impact on new stone formation might help us to predict the necessity of a stone-free status in low-risk patients [6]. On the other hand, in the case of high-risk stone formers, fragments can be removed in minimum time, leaving eventually dust and plaques behind but reducing an intervention-dependent risk.
  • #63 New in furs