PCNL Surgery In India – Costs, Experience Of Doctors And Convenience
Added: (Wed Oct 21 2009)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (Pcnl) Key Hole Surgery For Kidney Stones In India
Percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PCNL or PNL) is a minimally invasive endoscopic treatment for removing large kidney stones called staghorn stones or large or multiple stones impacted at the upper ureter...
What does the procedure involve ?
Disintegration & extraction of kidney stones with a telescope placed into the kidney (see below) through a small puncture in the back. This usually includes cystoscopy and x-ray screening. ..
Who is a candidate for PCNL ?
While PCNL can be used to treat stones in any location and of any size, it is often reserved for the largest and most complex stones:
* Kidney stones treated with PCNL are usually larger than 1.5 cm or cannot be effectively treated with ESWL or ureteroscopy...
What should I expect before the procedure ?
If you are taking Aspirin or Clopidogrel on a regular basis, you must discuss this with your urologist because these drugs can cause increased bleeding after surgery...
You will usually be admitted on the same day as your surgery. You will normally receive an appointment for pre-assessment, approximately 14 days before your admission, to assess your general fitness, to screen for the carriage of MRSA and to perform some baseline investigations....
Please be sure to inform your Urologist in advance of your surgery if you have any of the following : -
* an artificial heart valve
* a coronary artery stent
* a heart pacemaker or defibrillator
* an artificial joint...
What happens during the procedure ?
Normally, a full general anaesthetic will be used and you will be asleep throughout the procedure. You will usually be given injectable antibiotics before the procedure, after checking for any allergies...
A catheter is usually left in the bladder at the end of the procedure together with a drainage tube in the kidney. It may be necessary to puncture the kidney at more than one site if you have many stones scattered throughout the kidney. .....
The advantages of PNL or PCNL is : -
* It avoids the large skin incision of pervious kidney surgery for stones.
* It avoids any large incision on the kidney or renal pelvis.
* Hospital stay is shorter.
* Recovery and healing is faster....
What are the potential risks and complications ?
* Problems relating to the anaesthetic : - such as a chest infection; deep vein thrombosis or DVT (blood clot in the legs); a pulmonary embolus (blood clot in the lung); stroke; or heart attack.
* Bleeding : - in or around the kidney. Some bleeding is normal; only rarely (1%) is it heavy, needing further treatment. You will notice this bleeding as you will pass blood in your urine....