PCNL procedure
After general anesthesia, 5 or 6 F ureter catheter was inserted to the
collecting system of the patient’s kidney with stones in the lithotomy
position. And ureter catheter fixed to a Foley catheter. Then patient
was positined to prone. Access was obtained under fluoroscopy with
18-gauge needle, and tract was dilated with Amplatz dilatators to 30 F
caliber. Stone fragmentation was accomplished using a pneumatic
lithotripter (Vibrolith; Elmed, Ankara, Turkey). At the end of the
procedure, 14 F nephrostomy tube was inserted, and antegrade pyelography
was performed. Nephrostomy tube was removed in the 1st or 2nd
postoperative day in the absence of fever or significant hematuria. The
fluoroscopy time was recorded for every fluoroscopy use from the access
to the collecting system of the kidney to antegrade pyelography was
performed. Operation time was calculated from the patient was placed in
the prone position to the nephrostomy tube was placed.