The technique and results of pyleocalycotomy for staghorn calculi.

In 10 kidneys treated by the sinus approach the overall recurrence rate was 40%. In 48 kidneys treated by pyelocalycotomy the overall recurrence rate was 17% but only 6% in functioning kidneys with infective stones. Infection was controlled in 75% of patients from whom all stone fragments were removed radiologically but all patients in whom fragments remained, or who developed further calculi, remained infected--with Proteus in 75% of cases. All patients with kidneys completely cleared of calculi in whom infection was controlled remained stone-free for periods up to 10 years.