Urology

Urological Conditions

Surgical Treatments of Kidney Stones

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) can be used if ESWL is ineffective, the stone is too large, or located in an area not suitable for lithotripsy. It involves making a tiny cut in the back, then using a nephroscope (a small instrument used in minimally invasive surgery) to locate and remove the stone.

For larger stones, an energy probe may be needed to break the stone into small pieces. These probes use different types of energy, such as:

Usually, patients are sedated or under anesthesia during this procedure, stay in the hospital for two or three days, perhaps with a small catheter in the kidney, and resume light activity after a week or two.