Efficacy and safety of percutaneous nephrolithotripsy through the upper calyx

Introduction. Percutaneuos nephrolithotripsy (PNL) is mostly performed through the lower calyceal access, but in a distinct group of patients upper calyceal access is indicated. Our study was aimed at comparing results of PNL performed with different access. Materials and methods. This study includes outcomes of PNL in 568 patients with primary renal stones, who were treated at the urology clinic of North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov based on urology department of City Hospital №2 and center of urology and robot-assisted surgery of Mariinsky hospital. Patients with recurrent stones and history of previous renal and upper urinary tract surgery were excluded from this study. There were 360 (63,4%) male patients and 208 (36,6%) female patients. Mean age of patients was 48,6 ± 15,2 (28-76) years. Patients were distributed among two groups: I (primary) group -240 (42,5%) PNL performed through the upper calyx; II (control) group - 328 (57,5%) PNL performed through the lower calyx...