[Clinical experience of percutaneous nephrolithotomy].

Between July, 1984 and January, 1986, 20 cases of renal and ureteral stones were treated by percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL). Stone removal was successful in 17 cases (85%). In 14 cases, stones were removed completely and in 3 cases there were small residual fragments. There were 4 major and 9 minor complications. The major complications consisted of loss of tract in 2 cases, bleeding from the tract after removal of nephrostomy catheter in 1 case and pneumothorax in 1 case. The minor complications consisted of small perforation during PNL in 6 cases, gross hematuria impossible to continue PNL in 2 cases and ureteral injury due to ureteral occlusion catheter in 1 case. No patients required blood transfusion. In near future all urologists will be required to master the technique of PNL.